For the first time, we’re hearing from one of the victims caught in the chaos when a car crashed through the front of a St. Matthew’s House thrift store in Naples.
Ali Gallahue said she had just stepped away from the cash register to speak with a friend when the car came smashing through the wall.
“Had we not spoken, I would have continued on to the cash register. That was the exact path of the vehicle. He ran over the two women that were behind the cash register," said Gallahue.
Gallahue said she heard a loud boom and then was thrown through the air.
“Next thing I know, I'm kind of being propelled through the air. Things are flying. I landed on my side and a pile of rubble and glass," said the Naples woman.
The crash left her with a broken bone in her hand, nerve damage, deep cuts on her foot, and a concussion from a piece of furniture that struck her head.
“I do think about it a lot. I think about that moment that I'm kind of in the air thinking, what the heck is going on," said Gallahue.
Despite the trauma, Gallahue said she’s choosing to move forward.
“I forgive him. Yeah. I'm not going to carry that burden around—that hatred around with me,” she said. “But get some help.”
Authorities released an arrest video and a mugshot of the suspect, Donald Lee Russell Jr. The investigation is ongoing.
DOWNLOAD
the free
Gulf Coast News app
for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more.