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Mom recounts crash that injured her and 8-year-old son
A Florida mother is sharing her story after she and her 8-year-old son were struck by a vehicle while crossing a street in New Smyrna Beach, leaving both injured and beginning what she described as a long recovery.
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. - Days after Farije Sela and her 8-year-old son Alexander were hit by a car, she remains in the hospital.
She tells FOX 35 News she's grateful she and her son are on the road to recovery.
Driver fled scene, police say
The backstory:
Farije said she was out on a run with her son, when they were struck while using a marked crosswalk on North Riverside Drive in New Smyrna Beach.
She said the impact was strong enough to throw her into the air.
Police said after speeding off initially, 36-year-old Michael Perrelli later turned himself in.
He’s been charged with two counts of hit-and-run. Detectives claim he told them he panicked after the crash and drove away.
‘Changed my life upside down within seconds’
What they're saying:
Sela, said she and her son, Alexander, were out for a run when the crash happened.
"The last thing I was expecting was to be hit by a car. It just changed my life upside down within seconds," she said.
Witnesses told police they saw Farije fly into the windshield and over the car.
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"I just remember landing and feeling my body crack," she said. "I knew I broke a lot of stuff."
As Farije was on the ground, she was frustrated to hear the driver did not stay on scene.
"I [heard] him step on [the gas] even more," she said.
Sela expressed frustration and sadness over Perrelli’s alleged decision to leave.
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"It was just really sad and disappointing that someone would hit a mother and a child and keep going."
She said doctors have told her it will be a while before she can walk again.
"I’m confined to a bed, and it’s going to be a long, long journey," she said. "I’m just happy that we’re alive. I’ll get through this. It’ll take some time, but we’ll be fine.
What's next:
Perrelli has since been released from Volusia County jail on a $7,500 bond.
Sela remains hospitalized and is expected to face a lengthy recovery, while her son continues recovering at home after being released.
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by Farije Sela and the New Smyrna Beach Police Department.