Sebastian M. sentenced to eight years in Poland over A1 crash — RMF24

In Poland, a court in Piotrków Trybunalski sentenced Sebastian M. to eight years in prison in the case of a crash on the A1 motorway that killed three people. This is the maximum sentence provided for by the legal classification stated in the indictment, RMF24 reports.

Crash on the A1 motorway

The crash occurred on the evening of September 16, 2023, near the village of Sierosław, close to Piotrków Trybunalski, on the lanes heading toward Katowice. A BMW collided with a Kia, which then struck safety barriers and caught fire. Three members of the family travelling in the Kia — a married couple and their five-year-old son — died at the scene.

After the crash, the defendant fled to the United Arab Emirates. In May 2025, he was brought to Poland, after which he remained in custody.

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Experts’ findings

During the trial, the court heard witnesses to the crash, police officers and firefighters who worked at the scene, BMW passengers, the owners of a company that improved the performance of the defendant’s car, and his former employee.

Crash reconstruction experts told the court that the BMW was travelling at between 315 and 329 km/h. According to their data, the Kia was travelling at about 140 km/h with cruise control activated. The experts also determined that the Kia driver did not change the vehicle’s trajectory before the collision and remained in the middle lane throughout.

The prosecution requested an eight-year prison sentence for the defendant, a 15-year ban on driving motor vehicles, and an order requiring him to pay 2.2 million zlotys in compensation to the families of the deceased. The defence requested Sebastian M.’s acquittal and challenged the experts’ conclusions. The defendant himself admitted that he had exceeded the speed limit and apologized.