BOLESLAWIEC, Poland -- A routine maintenance mission near Bolesławiec quickly turned into an emergency response for Sgt. Nicolette Frankowski when she witnessed a traffic collision unfold directly in front of her vehicle, March 4.
Frankowski, who works operations for U.S. Army Garrison Poland's Bolesławiec Garrison Support Element, was traveling with interpreter Kamil Stuczynski, when a passing car collided with another vehicle attempting to turn left along a busy two-lane roadway.
“We saw it happen in slow motion,” Frankowski said. “As soon as the collision happened, our focus immediately shifted to making sure everyone was safe.”
The crash sent one vehicle into a roadside ditch with airbags deployed and debris scattered across the street. Frankowski's military police training kicked in and immediately stopped to assist.
The pair moved the occupants away from traffic, assessed them for injuries, called police, and placed emergency warning triangles along the roadway to alert approaching vehicles around the curve.
“Everyone was in shock,” Frankowski said. “My biggest concern was calming everyone down and securing the scene.”
One of the drivers emerged from the damaged vehicle limping, prompting Frankowski to carefully assess him for injuries while reassuring him in Polish.
“I thought he was seriously hurt at first,” she said. “I kept asking if he was okay and encouraged him to sit down and stay calm.” The limp, thankfully, was later determined to be unrelated to the accident and connected to a previous surgery.
Stuczynski said Frankowski’s calm demeanor helped stabilize the situation until local police arrived.
“She stayed composed the entire time,” he said. “That helped everybody else stay calm too.”
For Frankowski, the interaction carried personal meaning beyond the immediate emergency.
Raised in Tampa, Florida, by parents who immigrated from Poland, Frankowski grew up in a Polish-speaking household where traditions, holidays and language remained central to family life. Speaking Polish at the scene helped her quickly connect with those involved in the accident.
“When people heard me speaking Polish, it immediately made things easier,” she said. “It helped build trust.”
Frankowski joined the Army Reserve nearly five years ago as a military police Soldier and first came to Poland in 2024 during a previous rotation. After returning home, the 22-year-old raised her right hand and volunteered for another assignment, this time supporting USAG Poland.
“I loved being around the culture and the people,” she said. “After growing up in Florida, coming to Poland felt like a way to reconnect with part of who I am.”
Back home, she said, her Polish heritage was something primarily experienced within her family. Serving in Poland has allowed her to experience that connection more fully.
“At home it was always Polish traditions inside the house, but outside it was American life,” Frankowski said. “Being here has helped me learn more about my culture and feel connected to it in a different way.”
Frankowski received the Army Achievement Medal recognizing her actions following the crash. Despite the recognition, she said helping others felt instinctive.
“I would have stopped no matter where I was -- Poland or America,” Frankowski said. “I just wanted to make sure everyone was okay.”