Woman injured in crash claims hit-and-run driver pushed her into oncoming traffic
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A 22-year-old woman and her family are asking for the public’s help identifying a man they say pushed her car into oncoming traffic with his SUV in an apparent road rage incident.
"Every time I see that picture it almost makes me break down," said Kaitlyn Conchiglia referring to a picture of her totaled sedan.
Conchiglia said she’s lucky to be alive.
"Me and the other car involved could’ve easily went over that overpass and I mean, the other car was a lot closer, but it’s still so scary to me," she stated.
Conchiglia said she was driving to work around 6 p.m. on Tuesday when a champagne-colored SUV started tailgating her. It happened as she approached the overpass near 73rd Street North and Tyrone Boulevard North.
Kaitlyn Conchiglia's car after it was hit head-on following what she says is a road rage incident.
"I had slowed down a little bit just to try to get him to go into the other lane," she said. "So then, he got over into the right lane and looked over at me and forced me into oncoming traffic, like slid into me pushing me into the median over into oncoming traffic where then I got hit by an SUV," she said.
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Conchiglia said her car spun around and the driver she described as a bearded man in his 30s to 40s drove off.
"As soon as he hit me, I knew there was nothing I could do. I started feeling a burning sensation on my stomach and it felt as though someone was pouring hot water on me," she shared.
Kaitlyn Conchiglia recovers in her hospital room following crash.
Conchiglia managed to get out of the car and flagged down someone to call 911.
"I was like, ‘I need help. I don’t have my phone. I need someone to call 911. I don’t know what’s happening. Please help me,’" she said.
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Conchiglia spent the night in Bayfront Health’s trauma center. She has burns from the airbag, bruises, swelling, a broken collar bone and doctors are monitoring her for possible internal injuries.
Kaitlyn Conchiglia and her family is searching for the driver who pushed her car into oncoming traffic.
Despite it all, she saw enough to get a pretty good description of the SUV.
"I knew it was a bigger car and an SUV. It is gold, kind of more of a champagne gold color. It has a light bar on it which he used when he was behind me … turned it on when he was trying to get me to move out of his way. It’s lifted. It has black tires and black rims. The tires kind of stick out a little bit on the side as well," she said.
St. Pete police said they’re investigating the hit-and-run. They confirm there are two victims: Conchiglia and the driver of the car that she collided with in oncoming traffic. The second victim hasn’t been identified and their condition is unknown.
Kaitlyn Conchiglia recovers in her hospital room following crash.
Police said they can’t release any other information because it’s an active investigation.
Anyone with information on the crash is asked to contact the police.