Fatal chase in the Nymburk District: A fleeing car collided head-on with a tanker, two dead

A fatal traffic accident following a police chase in the Nymburk district on Sunday afternoon claimed two lives when a fleeing passenger car collided head-on with a tanker carrying asphalt near Choťánky on road I/32 between Poděbrady and Jičín. The driver and passenger of the car died at the scene; the road was completely closed for several hours.

Tragedy near Choťánky

The accident occurred on Sunday afternoon on the main I/32 route near the village of Choťánky in the Nymburk district, where a passenger car traveling from Poděbrady collided head-on with an oncoming tanker carrying asphalt. After the impact the car caught fire and was completely engulfed in flames.

Two people — the driver and his passenger — were trapped in the burning car; the responding rescuers were unable to help them and a doctor had to pronounce them dead at the scene. According to our information, they were a couple who had at least one child. The tanker driver suffered minor injuries; he managed to escape from the cab before the fire fully spread.

Police check and chase

The whole incident began with a routine road check in Poděbrady, during which the patrol wanted to stop a passenger car to inspect the driver and the vehicle. The driver, however, did not respond to the order to stop, pressed the accelerator and began fleeing from the patrol toward Jičín.

According to police, the pursued car was traveling at high speed and was overtaking other vehicles in a risky manner, repeatedly driving into the oncoming lane. During one of these maneuvers the driver moved directly in front of an oncoming tanker, to which its driver could no longer react in time.

Emergency services response

Firefighters, emergency medical services and police units immediately rushed to the scene, and traffic on the road was completely stopped in both directions. Firefighters focused on extinguishing the car fire and securing the tanker with asphalt to prevent any leakage or further ignition.

Rescuers treated the injured tanker driver at the scene, who had sustained minor injuries, and then transported him to the hospital for further examination. Police officers inspected the crash site, documented it and secured evidence for the subsequent investigation.

Investigation and road closure

The I/32 road between Poděbrady and Jičín was completely closed for several hours due to the emergency services' response, the accident investigation and removal of the incident's consequences; traffic was diverted along detour routes. The closure affected both passenger and freight traffic and caused queues to form in the area.

Police are now determining the exact course of the tragic event, evaluating the secured evidence and will also examine why the driver attempted to evade the police check. The investigation will also include expert assessment of the fleeing vehicle's speed, the technical condition of the vehicle and the possible presence of alcohol or other intoxicants in the driver.

Safety and police appeal

In connection with the tragedy, the police again appeal to drivers to obey the instructions of patrols and always stop when ordered to do so, because risky attempts to flee often end in severe consequences. According to police, such chases endanger not only the fleeing driver and their occupants but also other road users, including the responding officers.

According to statistics, excessive speed, risky overtaking and driving in the wrong lane are among the most common causes of fatal traffic accidents on Czech roads. The tragedy near Choťánky is another stark example of how an attempt to avoid a routine check can, within seconds, end in the irretrievable loss of human lives.