On March 28, the District Prosecutor in Głogów filed an indictment against the 29-year-old school bus driver – Jakub G.. He is accused of intentionally causing a traffic disaster on October 16, 2024, in Góra near Głogów, putting the lives and health of at least 23 children and their caretaker, the drivers of three vehicles he hit, and four residents of the house he deliberately drove into at risk.
– As a result of the crime, five minors suffered bodily injuries in the form of contusions and bruising to the chest, knees, abdomen, spine, head and arms. These injuries caused impairment of the functioning of a bodily organ for less than seven days – says Liliana Łukasiewicz, press spokesperson for the District Prosecutor’s Office in Legnica.
She adds: – Property worth nearly PLN 120,000 was also damaged, including vehicles worth over PLN 92,000 and a building worth over PLN 26,000. The school Mercedes sustained damage amounting to PLN 44,000.
What was established?
That day, while in an inappropriate psychophysical state, the driver travelled at very high speed from the outset, ignoring administrative speed limits. He drove the bus with one hand, listened to a sermon and talked to himself. He went over speed bumps without stopping. While driving, he rammed two road signs. One of them smashed through the bus’s windscreen.
He then damaged a passing Mazda and hit vehicles travelling ahead of him—a BMW and a Mercedes. After driving over a speed bump, he turned and drove the bus onto a property beside the road, hitting the entrance gate and two vehicles parked there, and then a residential building containing four people.
Jakub G. was detained and remanded in custody. It was ultimately established that he was sober and was not under the influence of intoxicants that day, despite frequently using them.
G. initially admitted committing the alleged offence and gave an extensive explanation. He confirmed that he used intoxicants. He explained that his actions had been directed by a higher power that ordered him to behave in this way.
Because the suspect was found to have religious delusions and there were consequently doubts about his sanity, he underwent psychiatric examinations. Since the experts were unable to issue an opinion after a single examination, they requested psychiatric observation. It ended at the beginning of March this year.
Prosecutor’s Office:
The expert assessment shows that Jakub G. committed the alleged offence while having significantly reduced ability to understand its significance and control his actions. This was caused by mixed dependence on several psychoactive substances, including marijuana and amphetamine, as well as mixed personality disorders caused, among other things, by a difficult life situation.
In the experts’ opinion, the defendant requires addiction treatment.
What penalty does he face?
Jakub G. faces a prison sentence of between one and 10 years. Investigators:
Because of his diminished sanity at the time of the offence, the court may—but is not required to—apply extraordinary mitigation of the sentence to Jakub G. under Article 60 § 6(2) of the Criminal Code. This consists of imposing a sentence below the statutory minimum, which in this case means below one year.
The case will be heard by the District Court in Głogów.
We reported more extensively on the entire case in the article Driver sped along in a bus full of children. “He did not react to the screams.” He drove into a house and rammed several cars.