HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. — Ashlee Bell struggles to walk right now.
“My legs aren’t cooperating right. It hurts.”
The 33-year-old has a fractured pelvis, broken rib, contusions and road rash. Doctors put 105 stitches in her head.
It all happened last Thursday morning when she was helping a 69-year-old woman cross Cortez Boulevard in Brooksville.
They almost got across all six lanes.
“I don’t remember what happened next,” Bell said.
Investigators said an 80-year-old man driving a Ford Ranger truck tried to go around stopped traffic and hit them both.
Bell was thrown 30 feet into a ditch, and the woman she was trying to help, Mo Schneider, was killed.
“I’m blessed to be alive. I think about it a lot because she didn’t make it. So I’m happy to be here, but I’m in a lot of pain every day,” said Bell.
Her mom, Diane Conigliaro, said she’s not surprised Bell was willing to help a stranger.
“The woman reminded her of my grandmother, who is very close to my kids. So for her to stop and help her cross the street meant everything to her," Conigliaro said. "For that reason, it’s very overwhelming.”
Bell said if she had to do it all over again, she would.
“I would do it again. And hope that we made it across the street this time," she said.
Bell does kitchen remodeling with her fiancé but won’t be working anytime soon. She’s slowly recovering.
The family has a GoFundMe set up to help with medical expenses.
The Florida Highway Patrol is still investigating the crash. At this time, there are no charges filed against the driver of the truck.
