It was the morning of September 29, 1989, when Andrzej Kurek and Zdzisław Kamiński set off on a journey from Krakow to the headquarters of the RAFAKO boiler factory in Racibórz. They were supposed to collect material there for the next episode of “Sonda” on “the modern technique of mass drilling holes for the needs of the energy industry and chemical engineering.” Rally driver Andrzej Gieysztor was behind the wheel of the Peugeot 405 in which the journalists were traveling.
The men were already reaching their destination when a tragic accident occurred – the Peugeot in which Kurek, Kamiński and Gieysztor were traveling collided head-on with a truck. All three died.
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How did it happen that the car driven by Gieysztor collided with a truck? The accident occurred in the lane that the truck was traveling in, which meant that the radio driver veered off to the side for some reason. Initially, the scenario taken into account was that oil had been spilled on the road and the Peugeot skidded. Ultimately, however, it was determined that the driver’s recklessness was to blame, as he began to overtake the car in front of him, even though his visibility was limited.
“They both had very different characters”, “full of inventiveness, full of life”
Poles were informed about the journalists’ deaths in the evening edition of Dziennik Telewizyjny.
My colleagues, Andrzej Kurek and Zdzisław Kamiński, the creators of the TV “Sonda”, died in a car accident. (…) Andrzej Kurek was 42 years old. He was a physicist. (…) Zdzisław Kamiński was a year older. Graduate of SGPiS (…) Excellent television creators, full of inventiveness, full of life
– said journalist Krzysztof Bartnicki.
The next day, information about the death of Kurek and Kamiński appeared on the front pages of newspapers. This is how she remembered journalists.
They both had very different characters, but this was what made ‘Sonda’ so attractive on television. The number one personality was undoubtedly Andrzej Kurek, who was expansive in his manner. His partner, Zdzisław Kamiński, was more cool and balanced, always presenting a slightly different point of view. They both complemented each other. Thanks to this, subsequent episodes of the program not only brought a portion of information about the achievements of knowledge each time, but also introduced the viewer to different views on the presented problems. The ‘probe’ showed millions of people a previously unknown face of science. It is difficult to accept the fact that the Kurek – Kamiński duo will not tell us more about new discoveries and inventions
Did anyone “get rid of” the creators of “Sonda”?
Although the cause of the tragic accident was officially explained, conspiracy theories began to arise around the deaths of Kurek and Kamiński. Some people believed that someone had “got rid of the journalists” because they wanted to give up running the “Sonda” and create a new program that would present the pros and cons of economic reforms after the systemic transformation in 1989. People who believe that this was the case point out, among other things, that the rear part of the Peugeot in which the journalists were traveling was not very damaged. Moreover, one of the deceased allegedly had a spike from an umbrella in his temple. However, these sensational reports are difficult to confirm today.
The journalists’ funeral took place on October 6, 1989. Andrzej Kurek and Zdzisław Kamiński were buried in adjacent graves at the cemetery in Pyry, Warsaw. A crowd of people took part in the funeral ceremonies. The deceased were posthumously awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta. The creators of “Sonda” were also commemorated with a cross that stands on provincial road No. 935 in Racibórz.
The broadcast of the “Sonda” program was interrupted on September 29, 1989, on the day of the death of Kurek and Kamiński. In September 1990, three episodes that had been in production before the accident and were completed by the deceased journalists’ editorial colleagues were broadcast.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
