Phil Firrantello sat in his Ford Focus at a red light Monday morning. He’d just finished the overnight shift at work and was on the way home when he lost consciousness.
The Gastonia man got knocked out when his car was rear ended by a car eluding police.
Firrantello went to the hospital, although he doesn’t remember the trip.
“The last thing I remember I was sitting at a traffic light on the phone with my father,” he said. “Next thing I know I was at the hospital.”
Paramedics and police have helped Firrantello connect the dots.
Firrantello, the son of a longtime Gastonia police sergeant, was told that the impact knocked him out, demolishing the rear of his car and snapping the driver’s seat in half.
Witnesses have told Firrantello that he got out of his car and started wandering around after the wreck.
A man on the scene coaxed Firrantello to sit down and wait for paramedics. He went unconscious again and woke up nearly an hour later in the hospital.
Aside from some aches and pains, Firrantello was uninjured. His car is totaled.
Firrantello said he feels fortunate that he walked away with only minor injuries.
“I came out of it relatively unscathed considering,” he said. “I’m a little sore but other than that I feel great.”
Police estimate that Anthony Thomas Giglio was driving about 50 mph on Cox Road by the onramp to I-85 when he smacked into the back of Firrantello’s car.
According to police, Giglio tried to flee the scene on foot when some Good Samaritans stepped in, forcing him to the ground and holding him until he could be taken into police custody.
Giglio had warrants out on him for an incident that happened over the weekend involving an alleged break-in at the home of his ex-wife.
Giglio faces charges of felony hit and run and reckless driving in Monday’s incident.
He remained in jail Thursday on a $75,000 secured bond.
You can reach reporter Diane Turbyfill at 704-869-1817 and twitter.com/GazetteDiane.