Polish court detains truck driver on drug charges after fatal A1 motorway crash

Detention ordered after drug screening

The District Court in Częstochowa ordered three months of pre-trial detention on 3 September 2026 for 31-year-old truck driver Dominik D. following a fatal collision on the A1 motorway. Toxicological analysis submitted to prosecutors on Thursday confirmed the presence of clephedrone, a synthetic psychotropic drug, in the driver's blood. Officials noted that the detected concentration was sufficient to impair motor vehicle operation, which may prompt prosecutors to amend the legal classification and pursue harsher penalties.

The man was under the influence of a psychotropic substance in the form of clephedrone. According to the toxicology expert, the established concentration affected the ability to drive motor vehicles.

District Court spokesperson Dominik Bogacz confirmed that the detention was imposed due to the severity of the potential sentence and the flight risk. Dominik D. attempted to leave the scene immediately after the crash by walking past motorway barriers before road workers stopped him. In court on Thursday, the suspect refused to give testimony.

Collision details and casualties

The collision occurred on Tuesday, 1 September 2026, before 9:00 AM on the southbound carriageway of the A1 motorway near Mykanów, outside Częstochowa. A Scania tractor-trailer driven by Dominik D., a resident of Kutno County, struck stationary technical vehicles and road maintenance staff working on the right lane. The crew was employed by Rekma Sp. z o.o., a contractor carrying out scheduled road maintenance for Poland's General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways (GDDKiA).

The impact killed four workers: a 20-year-old from Niedzica, a 62-year-old from Falsztyn, and two men aged 44. Four other workers suffered severe injuries and were transported to hospitals in Częstochowa and Sosnowiec. The emergency operation involved over 40 firefighters, medical rescue crews, and two Polish Medical Air Rescue helicopters. The truck driver suffered no injuries and passed an initial roadside breathalyzer test, which indicated zero alcohol.

Charges and tachograph card inquiry

On Wednesday, 2 September 2026, the District Prosecutor's Office in Częstochowa formally presented Dominik D. with two charges. The first charge concerns unintentionally causing a land traffic catastrophe that endangered the lives and health of multiple individuals as well as large-scale property. The second charge involves concealing documents in the form of two digital driver cards belonging to other people, which police recovered from the truck cab.

Investigators are examining whether the third-party cards were used to falsify mandatory driving and rest time logs. During interrogations, both registered cardholders stated they had not given their cards to Dominik D. While the suspect admitted to causing the catastrophe, he claimed not to remember the moment of the crash and denied concealing the driver cards.

Work zone safety procedures under review

Beyond the driver's actions, the District Prosecutor's Office in Częstochowa is investigating whether the roadworks site was marked and secured in compliance with safety standards. Portal brd24.pl reported video recordings captured less than an hour before the crash showing potential irregularities in the layout of warning signs and mobile crash cushions. Investigators are examining whether the safety vehicles maintained the required separation distance of at least 100 meters on the motorway lane.