Man charged in car crash that injured Polish prime minister

WARSAW, Poland – Polish prosecutors filed charges Tuesday against a 21-year-old man who is accused of causing a traffic accident that injured Prime Minister Beata Szydlo and two other people last week.

The crash occurred Friday evening in the southern Polish city of Oswiecim, Szydlo’s hometown. She had just arrived there for the weekend when the driver of her car swerved to avoid hitting a small Fiat.

Szydlo’s injuries did not require surgery but doctors want her to remain hospitalized for a few more days, government spokesman Rafal Bochenek said Monday. Two security officials, one of them the car’s driver, were also injured.

The prime minister’s office released footage on Monday of Szydlo visiting the bedside of one of the injured security officials, walking down the hospital corridor with a strong gait. She has been meeting with government officials and signing documents from the hospital, Bochenek said.

However, she had to miss the weekly Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. Her deputy, Culture Minister Piotr Glinski, presided in her place. He said Szydlo’s accident was not discussed at that meeting.

“The state is functioning perfectly,” Glinski said.

Regional prosecutors in Krakow said the driver of the Fiat, identified only as Sebastian K., was charged with involuntary violation of traffic safety, a crime punishable by up to three years in prison.