Experts: Sebastian M.'s BMW was travelling at 329 km/h before A1 collision near Piotrków
Experts established that the BMW reached 315–329 km/h before the fatal crash on the A1. Closing arguments are scheduled for 7 October.
Speed comparable to aeroplane take-off — experts summarise trial following A1 tragedy
Before the District Court in Piotrków Trybunalski, the hearing of experts concluded in the case of Sebastian M., accused of causing a fatal motorway accident on the A1 in which a three-person family died. According to Dziennik Gazeta Prawna, experts in road accident reconstruction presented an extensive supplementary opinion on Monday — they were the last witnesses examined in this case.
Expert Bogusław Śleziak stated before the court: "Our opinions indicate unambiguously that the speed of the BMW vehicle was in the range of 315–329 km/h. Meanwhile, the Kia was travelling at around 140 km/h with cruise control activated."
The experts further established that the driver of the Kia did not change lanes before the collision and travelled in the middle lane throughout. This means that the BMW struck the Kia, not — as the defence claims — that the Kia suddenly cut across Sebastian M.'s path.
Methods and evidence material
The experts based their analysis on traces revealed on the road surface, digital data read from both vehicles, recordings from a dashcam that captured the moment of collision, and footage from motorway cameras. According to their findings, the BMW struck the Kia's rear left side with its front right section.
"This is borne out by the deformations visible on both vehicles during inspection and in photographs," explained expert Marek Długosz. Using traces on the road surface and recordings from the black boxes, the team reconstructed the exact sequence and moment of collision in diagrams.
Długosz emphasised the exceptional nature of the case: "I have been dealing with road accidents for 25 years. I have never encountered such speeds on a road in my career. I think no one in Poland has encountered such speeds. There are no roads in Poland where such speeds can be reached."
Another expert added: "Aeroplanes take off at 300 km/h. According to the experts, Sebastian M. regularly exceeded 300 km/h whilst driving on the A1 motorway on the day of the accident."
Defence's private expertise challenged
The experts disputed the findings contained in the expertise commissioned by the defence. In their view, the document was prepared defectively: the author incorrectly estimated the wheelbase of the BMW, incorrectly measured the length of the braking marks and tyre width, and made errors in other technical parameters. The team also rejected the hypothesis from the private expertise that the Kia was travelling on a spare wheel.
The experts answered over 50 questions prepared by the defence counsel. These concerned the methodology of speed measurements, braking distance, examination of post-collision traces and the behaviour of vehicles immediately before and at the moment of collision.
Prosecution assessment and court decisions
Prosecutor Izabela Knapik from the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Katowice stated: "The opinions presented by the experts were unambiguous. No doubts arose. The gathered material is beyond dispute. The defence's asking of multiple questions was solely aimed at casting doubt."
Judge Renata Folkman, conducting the hearing until 19:00, dismissed further requests for evidence from the defence as seeking to prolong proceedings. She closed the trial and set the date for closing arguments of both sides for 7 October. The prosecution announced an application for the maximum sentence. "We will request the maximum sentence, because if not in this case, then in which case should we," stated Prosecutor Knapik.
The defence counsel for the accused, advocate Katarzyna Hebda, did not disclose what line of defence she would present in her closing argument.
The temporary arrest of Sebastian M. was extended until 1 February of next year. The judge justified this decision by the high probability of the accused committing the alleged act, the severe sentence threatened, and fear of flight. On Monday, two new advocates joined the defence team; one of them left the courtroom at the beginning of the hearing — regulations prevent court defence by a person employed on a permanent basis in an enterprise.
Background to the case
The accident occurred on 16 September 2023 in the evening on the A1 motorway near Piotrków Trybunalski. At the level of the village of Sierosław, in the lane heading towards Katowice, the BMW collided with the Kia. The Kia struck energy-absorbing barriers and caught fire. The family in it — a married couple and their five-year-old son — died on the spot.
After the accident, Sebastian M. fled to the United Arab Emirates. Last May, he was brought back to Poland and has been in remand custody since then. The trial has been ongoing for nearly a year; almost 30 volumes of documents have been gathered in the case. For causing a fatal accident, he faces a sentence of up to eight years' imprisonment.
Source: Dziennik Gazeta Prawna