By Megan Hickey, Marissa Parra

DES PLAINES, Ill. (CBS) -- A Des Plaines mother protected her baby as she started to strap the 4-month-old girl into their car, just before she felt a jolt and found herself on the ground, when a hit-and-run driver crashed into their vehicle and took off.

Police are asking for help finding that hit-and-run driver as the mother is trying to recover. Police announced the search for a third car involved in the crash.

Virginia Konavalov and her husband Bartosz Golebiowski were loading their 2-month-old son and 4-month-old daughter into their car seats around 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 25, when a speeding black BMW sedan collided with a black hatchback, lost control, and hit their Mazda SUV in the 900 block of East Oakton Street in Des Plaines.

Both the driver of the Black BMW sedan and the driver of the hatchback fled the scene. Police released a photo of the third vehicle involved. 

Konavalov said her head was slammed violently into the car, and the impact sent her and her 4-month-old daughter, Victoria, flying.

Konavalov suffered a bad gash to her face and some scrapes, but she was more horrified to see her baby girl lying feet away from her on the asphalt. Luckily, doctors said baby Victoria's CT scans are normal.

Golebiowski grabbed their 2-year-old boy and carried him to safety. He said there were two people inside the BMW; one got out to survey the damage, but they did not stop to try to help any of them. The pair just took off on foot down Oakton.

"I'm thinking … We could lose our kids, and our whole family. I want to cry, you know, because this is very bad you know," he said.

Konavalov said she ended up blacking out and fainting again on the ground before they were transported to a local hospital.

"My face hurts really bad, my head hurts, and my arm is starting to feel okay, but I don't care about myself," she said. "I'm thanking God that my kids are alive and safe, and I just want to get to the bottom of this, and I need those people to get caught, and get what they deserve."

The family said they are still shaken by what happened, and they want the driver and passenger who ran off caught.

Police said they have no specific descriptions of the suspects, but anyone with information is asked to call the Des Plaines Police Department.

Megan Hickey is a member of the 2 Investigator team, focusing on topical investigative stories.

First published on August 26, 2022 / 4:59 AM

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©2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.