Polish gov't official uninjured in car crash

The military police vehicle crashed en-route to Poland’s National Security Bureau, where Kownacki was due to have a meeting, when it was in a collision with a Volvo SUV.

Kownacki continued to the meeting in a defence ministry car.

Police were informed, but military police will deal with the crash, a police spokesman said.

The mishap is the latest in a string of accidents involving top government officials.

On 26 January, two military police vehicles, one carrying Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz, were involved in an eight-car pileup.

Most of the cars were no longer road-worthy after the crash, and three people of the 15 involved were taken to hospital with injuries.

On 13 February, Prime Minister Beata Szydło was taken to hospital after being injured in an accident involving a government convoy.

Three government cars were overtaking a small Fiat when it started to turn left and collided with the middle car, which was carrying Szydło.

Szydło's car swerved to try to avoid the Fiat and hit a tree by the roadside.

Media have questioned whether the convoy was following protocol at the time of the crash.

Last year, Polish President Andrzej Duda's limousine veered off a motorway and skidded into a ditch after a tyre burst.

His brush with danger brought back uncomfortable memories of the 2010 air disaster in western Russia which killed Poland’s then-president Lech Kaczyński, along with 95 others aboard his plane.

According to press reports, following Duda’s accident the head of Poland’s military counter-intelligence ordered all cars used by the defence ministry and heads of the armed forces to be checked. (vb/pk)

Source: PAP