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Mother survives after stolen car crashes in her driveway

She was pinned between SUV and garage door
Posted at 5:17 PM, Mar 29, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-29 17:17:52-04

Looking at a picture, it’s hard to believe Kozeta Lamko walked away with just a few scrapes.

“Compared to what happened. I’m thankful that I’m alive,” she said Wednesday morning.

Lamko, her husband and daughter were getting into their Toyota Tuesday evening, when a white Range Rover, trying to get away from police, came speeding toward them.

“And I just hear only my daughter yelling don’t get in the car and it was just a matter of seconds. I was frozen because I wanted to see where they were. I was in front of my car in the driveway,” said Lamko.

Her husband and daughter weren’t hit, but that Range Rover smashed into the back of her SUV, pinning pinned Lamko against the garage.

“At that moment even when the car hit me, I wasn’t feeling anything. I just closed my eyes, and I thought I would be dead.”

New Port Richey police said the driver of the Range Rover, Lionel Bates, tried to run away, but they caught the convicted felon and found drugs and a gun inside the stolen truck.

RELATED: Police: Man tries to ram officer with stolen SUV

This is actually the third time this home was hit by a car.

Things are so bad, someone who used to live here built a concrete barrier. But that was smashed along with the fire hydrant by a drunk driver just a few weeks ago.

The latest crash was the worst one yet.

“If we were inside the car. I don’t think we’d be here and talking,” said Lamko.

The family said they would have never moved in if they knew their home would be such a target.

Meanwhile Bates is in jail facing a long list of charges.