Drunk Poles steal a van in Rijeka, Croatia. End up crashing into a store.

TWO Polish citizens, aged 27 and 31, ended up in custody after unlawfully taking and driving someone else’s van in Rijeka, during which they also caused material damage. The reckless ride began in Školjić and ended with police arrest and a criminal complaint, police reported.

They entered an unlocked van and crashed into a store

It all started on the evening of August 18, when one of the men in Rijeka’s Školjić took advantage of the situation and entered an unlocked van owned by a local company. As soon as he started the vehicle, the driver crashed into the facade of a nearby store, after which he drove off in the van with his companion in an unknown direction.

Found drunk and without documents

The following day, around 10:20 p.m., officers of the Rijeka Traffic Police Station spotted the disputed vehicle near a gas station, also in Školjić. Inside the van, they found two men without any documents.

The pair were immediately taken to the First Police Station for a criminal investigation, where it was established that they were Polish citizens and that both were heavily intoxicated. The older man, aged 31, was measured at 1.23 g/kg blood alcohol, while the younger, 27-year-old, had as much as 2.29 g/kg alcohol in his system.

€12,000 damage and a criminal charge

The Rijeka-based company, owner of the van, suffered an estimated €12,000 in damages. After the investigation was completed, both suspects were handed over to the custody supervisor with a criminal complaint for unauthorized use of another person’s movable property. In addition, the 31-year-old was also sanctioned under the Road Traffic Safety Act for committing a traffic offense.