'I Was Terrified:' Woman Recalls Stranger Following Her Car For Miles
By: Erika Stanish
WASHINGTON COUNTY (KDKA) - A Washington County woman is warning other drivers to be aware of their surroundings after she says she was followed by a man she didn't know or recognize.
Kodi Cimani said she was delivering food to her aunt on Thanksgiving when a man suddenly pulled up right behind her near the Washington Mall.
"They were high beaming me and I'm like, 'What does this person want?'" Cimani said.
Cimani said that's when she realized the man was following her.
"So, I went to a stoplight, and I pretended like I was going to go right but I made a left to see what the person behind me would do. And they followed me. So then like I was blowing through red lights. I was blowing through stop signs. They were screaming out the window at me," Cimani said. "I was terrified. Like, I didn't know I was gonna lose my life. Like I mean, I seriously was going so fast."
Cimani said the man followed her for about 15 minutes before she could make it to a friend's house for help.
"She eventually made it here flying down the one-way street and I had her pull where my Ring could see her. And he pulled right up beside her, so I didn't know if she was going to get shot," Mitch Malik said, Cimani's friend.
Malik's Ring doorbell camera caught part of the incident on video, showing the man pull up next to Cimani.
"She (Cimani) tried to run into the house, but he was right behind her. So, I just said stay in the car and I was right behind her car. And well, as they were talking back and forth. I just couldn't believe how crazy it seemed," Malik said.
"The guy pulled up and was just like, 'Hey, do you want to smoke some weed?' And I'm like, what? Like, that's crazy. He was like, 'You're a good driver. Sorry, I'm a weirdo, I'll leave you alone.' And then leaves!" Cimani said.
Once the man left, Cimani said she reported the incident to the police.
KDKA reached out to the Washington City Police Department Saturday to learn more about the investigation. We have not heard back yet.
Cimani said the man was in his 20s or 30s and had long hair. He was driving a red car.
"(Drivers) just need to be very aware of what's going on and get the police involved as soon as you can," Malik said.
