Woman drives onto railway tracks and leaves sleeping passenger in car

In Warmątowice, a 66-year-old woman ignored a STOP sign, drove onto the railway tracks, and then got out of the car, leaving a sleeping passenger inside. A tragedy was averted thanks to the quick reaction of a bystander.

How did the dangerous incident happen?

It happened late in the evening on 4 October, on Centawska Street in Warmątowice. The woman driving a Renault Clio crossed a railway crossing without barriers and – convinced she had already passed the tracks – turned right, driving directly onto the rails. The car became stuck on the tracks. The light signals were switched off at the time, a situation similar to someone in the dark mistaking a path for a road.

A witness's heroic reaction saved a life

A 62-year-old man was sleeping in the passenger seat, unaware of the danger – he had over two promille of alcohol in his blood. The woman, seeing the lights of an approaching train, managed to get out of the vehicle, but left the man inside.

• Adding to the drama, the man slept so deeply that he did not react to the danger.
• Fortunately, a 45-year-old driver passing by from the Kędzierzyn-Koźle district immediately rushed to help, pulled the sleeping passenger out of the car, and dragged him to a safe place.
• The witness injured his leg during the rescue operation.

Seconds from tragedy

A passenger train on the Gliwice-Opole route, approaching from the direction of Gliwice, was unable to stop in time and struck the car, pushing it several dozen meters. The train’s passengers were unharmed.

Police quickly established that the driver was sober, while the sleeping passenger had over 2 promille of alcohol. The 66-year-old lost her driving licence, and the case is being handled by local police. Despite serious damage, the car did not cause any injuries to the train’s passengers.

What do experts say?

The incident shows how easily a route can be mistaken in the dark – especially at unprotected railway crossings. Many drivers do not realise that even a moment’s hesitation can have serious consequences. Similar incidents most often occur at rural crossings, where infrastructure is more modest and signage less visible.