19-year-old from Sądecki district crashes car into pond after chase in Tarnów
Police from Tarnów-Zachód pursued a 19-year-old who was fleeing in a stolen Skoda. The chase ended in a roadside pond in Bistuszowa.
High-speed chase across Tarnów district ends in water
Małopolska Police have reported that a reckless escape by a 19-year-old from a traffic patrol in Tarnów ended in an accident — the driver crashed the car into a roadside pond in the village of Bistuszowa.
Officers of Tarnów-Zachód Police Commissariat were patrolling Klikowska Street during night hours when they spotted a Skoda with an LPG filling tube inserted. Policemen stopped the vehicle for inspection. The driver initially pulled over, but as the officers were getting out of the police car, he suddenly accelerated and began fleeing at high speed.
The chase proceeded through Tarnów and then through villages in Tarnów district: Tarnowiec, Nowodworze, Poręba Radlna, Piotrkowice, Zabłędzę and Tuchów, reaching Bistuszowa. Throughout the entire pursuit, the man ignored the officers' visual and audio signals, repeatedly exceeded the speed limit, drove against traffic and posed a real threat to other road users.
In Bistuszowa, the 19-year-old lost control of the vehicle. The car launched over a rise in the road and crashed nose-first into a roadside pond. The officers immediately began a rescue operation — they jumped into the water and pulled the driver out of the partially submerged vehicle. The man, who could not swim, panicked; however, he sustained no injuries.
A sobriety test showed that the 19-year-old had been driving under the influence of alcohol. A drug test conducted on the spot returned a positive result. The man was taken to a holding cell, and a blood sample taken from him will be sent for further laboratory analysis.
As police determined, the Skoda did not belong to the driver — the vehicle was handed over to its lawful owner.
Criminal proceedings were initiated against the resident of Sądecki district. The man was informed of charges, to which he confessed. Investigators do not exclude the possibility that the proceedings will be extended to include additional charges. Failure to stop for a traffic control inspection carries a penalty of up to 5 years' imprisonment and a ban on driving motor vehicles.
Source: Google News PL — Crime (pl)