Cruising toward Christmas: Latrobe woman gifted car during holiday season

A 70-year-old Latrobe woman who went five years without a car after a failed inspection now has one after her longtime friend, Joseph Lanatovich, gifted her a 2000 Lincoln Town Car.

For years, Angie Bush had to rely on public transit, car services and the kindness of her friends to get where she needed to go.

Now retired and unable to afford a new car, Bush said she felt as though she had not only lost a reliable means of transportation but also her freedom. Bush relied on public bus transportation at first but soon found herself feeling anxious in that environment during the covid pandemic. Her doctor informed her that she was high risk and implored her to be cautious.

“I sat in my apartment and stared at four walls,” Bush said. “I couldn’t go anywhere because I didn’t have a safe way to get anywhere.”

Bush was brought to tears Thursday when Joseph Lanatovich and his wife, Kimberly, pulled up in front of her apartment lobby.

“I’m just in shock,” Bush said. “These are amazing people.”

As Lanatovich handed Bush the keys, he assured her that he had gotten new tires for the car. She replied that she would not risk driving in any bad weather because the car is “too special.”

“This is the best Christmas I’ve had in all my 70 years,” Bush said. “I am so blessed.”

Lanatovich owns Rideman Transportation and thought of getting Bush a car when she called his company and asked how much a round trip ride to a doctor appointment in Pittsburgh would be for her and a friend. After he attempted to apply discounts for the women, they were still unable to afford the cost.

“I just felt so bad,” said Lanatovich. “Senior citizens face some awful challenges today. This was just what I could do for a friend.”

Lanatovich recently received some upgraded cars for the service and was able to gift one of the company’s older vehicles to Bush.

“I had (the car) checked,” Lanatovich said. “It’s a good car that runs well.”

Lanatovich and Bush used to be neighbors before Bush relocated to her current apartment. He knew she deals with diabetes and high blood pressure and needs a reliable way to get to her doctor appointments.

“I know that if any of her friends need rides to their appointments that she’ll take them,” Lanatovich said. “That’s just the kind of woman she is.”