The tragic incident occurred at 2:15 p.m. in Gościszów. A tractor pulling two pairs of sleds was crossing the railway crossing. Two young boys were riding in the sleigh ride; both were the tractor driver's grandsons. “One sled managed to cross the crossing, while the other was hit by a railcar,” said Sergeant Grzegorz Jurczak of the Bolesławiec police.
The five-year-old boy died at the scene. Nothing happened to the other boy. Both the tractor driver and the driver of the railcar were sober.
The victim’s grandfather claims that he did not see the railcar because he was blinded by the sun. He thought he would make it across in time. According to investigators, the driver of the railcar had no chance to stop in time.
“Complete carelessness and a total lack of imagination—that is the main cause of this accident,” commented district prosecutor Adam Zieliński.
Police officers determined that the person responsible for the accident did not have the proper authorization to drive a tractor. Moreover, the vehicle was unregistered and uninsured. The tractor driver faces up to eight years in prison.
(information ii)