“I killed your son.” Janusz Kulig’s family did not want two dead bodies

Even before the motorsport community in Poland learned about Robert Kubica, at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, he had lived a rivalry between Janusz Kulig, Krzysztof Ho³owczyc and Tomasz Kuchar. All four raced with success, there was even talk of the golden time of Polish car rallies.

Three Polish championships (1997, 2000, 2001), two runners-up (1998, 1999), runner-up in Europe (2002), two Central European championships (1998, 1999) or the Slovak championship (2001) – these are the best results of an outstanding rally driver that he was. Janusz Kulig. He drove in the World Cup qualifiers, not only that, in 2003 he even won the Rally Sweden in the production car class, but later he was disqualified for his flywheel inconsistent with the homologation.

It was not always colorful in his career. In 2003, he started having problems with sponsors, which caused him to consider taking a step back – withdrawing from the WRC and racing in a lower category. And who knows, there would have been many more successes if his career and life had not been interrupted by the tragic accident on February 13, 2004.

“I killed your son”

Difficult conditions, poor visibility and an extremely costly laywoman’s mistake. All this meant that exactly 18 years ago one of the most tragic days in the history of Polish motorsport took place. The 34-year-old drove his Fiat Stilo onto the guarded railroad crossing in Rzezawa in Ma³opolska, right under the oncoming train. Although he had beaten many rivals on the road, this time he had no chance, he died.

Dró¿niczka Michalina K., who did not leave the barrier and did not turn on the traffic lights, was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, suspended for three years. Moreover, she was banned from practicing the profession of a pauler for a period of five years.

a year ago, he mentioned a meeting between the rider’s father, Jan Kulig, and Michalina K., which took place the day after the accident.

– I killed your son, I killed your son – the desperate traveler was to say to Kulig Sr. The same day he forgave her. In court, the rally rider’s family did not seek the highest possible sentence for the woman. – Why did I forgive you so quickly? I don’t know, Janusz would probably forgive too. In this whole situation, two dead bodies were unnecessary, explained Jan Kulig.

As Janusz Kulig’s father added, the son drove very carefully every day. “He rode like a woman” – laughed Jan Kulig. Speaking of its fatal consequences, it enters the railroad crossing in Rzezawa (currently operated by an automatic machine), one cannot speak of bravado either. His car collided with a train at a speed of 40 km / h. Kulig himself also encouraged safe driving. In 1999, a road traffic town was established at the school in his hometown, Łapanów, on the initiative of an athlete.

The daughter was a “total copy”, the coffin was carried by rivals from the route

Kulig was respected by everyone around him. He also did well in his private life. He left a pregnant wife Agnieszka and a seven-year-old daughter, Paulina. The second daughter, Julia, was born five months after the accident. She was no longer able to meet her father, but she is very much like him.

– Julia is so similar to our dad that I do not have to recreate his figure, because dad is with me all the time in the form of his sister, who is a complete copy of him. I love her very much and when I see her eyes, her gaze full of glitter, I definitely remember those times – recalled the older daughter of the rally driver, Paulina Kulig.

Crowds came to his funeral, even seven thousand people are said to be there. The coffin was carried by his rivals from rally routes, incl. , Leszek Kuzaj, Maciej Baran, Maciej Wis³awski. Before the funeral procession, a Mitsubishi Lancer rode with Kulig’s photos and the titles he had won.

Since 2007, the Memorial of Janusz Kulig and Marian Bublewicz has been organized in Wieliczka. The latter died in an accident during the Dolno¶ląski Winter Rally. If help had come faster, he would surely be alive. In 2008, a monument in Walim was unveiled to commemorate both tragically deceased drivers.

Monument in Walim commemorating Janusz Kulig and Marian Bublewicz Jacek Halicki / WikiMedia