Zbyszko Kienast, 40, jailed over fatal crash on Henley Road. He was three times over the legal limit and had prior convictions.
He pleaded guilty to two charges. These included causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury. The incident occurred on November 3, 2023, around 4:15 p.m.
Kienast drove on Henley Road, the A4130 linking Henley and Maidenhead. He overtook dangerously on a bend where double white lines prohibited this act.
His car hit a white Mercedes, and he continued driving. Then, he crashed into a Honda Civic and the car rolled over, trapping him inside.
Police, paramedics, and firefighters arrived to free Kienast and one victim. The Mercedes driver suffered serious injuries, as did a Honda driver. Both victims were in their seventies.
Sadly, the Honda driver, Miroslawa Dawidowicz, died in the hospital in December 2023. She was 72 years old at the time of her death.
Kienast’s blood alcohol was very high, 286 milligrams per 100 milliliters, which is three and a half times over the limit. He also suffered serious injuries himself and was hospitalized.
Police arrested him on February 1 last year. He was charged on April 28 with driving over the limit, but the court later withdrew it. On January 15, 2025, further charges came for causing death and injury.
Detective Sergeant Edward Crofts commented on the case, stating that Kienast had prior convictions for driving while intoxicated in 2010 and 2020. Both led to driving bans, with the second ban requiring a retest.
Crofts noted that Kienast thought he was above the law. He chose to drive drunk again, over three times the legal limit this time. He overtook at excessive speed, crossing white lines and hitting two cars.