NORTHPORT, N.Y. (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) -- A Long Island woman’s totaled Volkswagen ended up in Ukraine, where a mechanic used it to get his family out of the war-torn country just as Russia’s invasion began a year ago.
Northport resident Gia Savocchi, owner of Thinking Canine, said Wednesday that the man recently reached out to her online.
“Randomly on Instagram I get a message from somebody that said that they had my car,” Savocchi said. “Clicked on the pictures. It was my blue Volkswagen.”
Savocchi had planned to own the rare Volkswagen forever, but then she was t-boned in a crash two years ago and ultimately sold the vehicle.
She left her information in the glove box in case any future owner wanted to contact her with questions.
She heard from Sergei, a husband and father of two children who bought the vehicle online and had it shipped to him in Ukraine.
The vehicle sat on a ship for six months gathering mold, but it ultimately ended up as an “escape ship” for the family, Savocchi said.
Sergei had perfectly restored the vehicle when Russia invaded his country on Feb. 24, 2022.
“The day after it was fixed and ready to go on the road, he used it to flee with his family to the Czech Republic,” she said. “He was just letting me know that my car saved his family’s life.”
Savocchi called it a very emotional experience. “I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “I called my whole family. I’m like, ‘You’re not going to believe this. Remember my car?’”
Now that she found out what happened to the vehicle, she said she realizes it was meant to be.
“By hearing his story, I was like, ‘Oh this was totally worth it. I’m happy my car got totaled.’”
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