A U.S. soldier in Poland totaled a luxury rental car and damaged residential property before fleeing the scene, the Polish Press Agency reported on Sunday. Police later caught up to him and issued a fine.
The American soldier—whose name has not been released—was driving a rented Audi through the small town of Nowogród Bobrzański late Saturday night. According to local police, the driver was speeding when he suddenly lost control, skidded off the road, then rolled over and tore through trees before finally colliding with a concrete wall near a private residence, stopping its tumble.
Police did not indicate how fast the car was going when the driver lost control. No one was hurt in the collision.
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The soldier quickly abandoned the wreck on residential property and fled the scene with Polish police in pursuit. As a tow truck crane cleared the wrecked vehicle away, authorities pieced together the man’s identity and finally caught him on Sunday.
The soldier’s rental car had German plates, a spokeswoman for Zielona Góra police told reporters on Sunday. It wasn’t clear where the soldier was stationed, where he was headed, or why he was traveling through Nowogród Bobrzański on Saturday night. The Daily Beast has reached out to the U.S. Embassy in Poland for comment.
Police didn’t say whether the man was driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, but the fine of 5,000 PLN (about $1,272 USD) is in line with penalties for driving under the influence under Polish law. Poland has very strict drinking and driving limits, with fines incurred once blood alcohol content (BAC) exceeds 0.02, within prison sentences often issued for BAC levels above 0.05.
