Nearly three weeks after a fiery crash nearly claimed the life of his daughter, Goodyear Fire Capt. Simeon Cheatham stood before reporters to reflect on the rescue that saved her, and the community that continues to carry her through recovery.
“What (Officer Dakota Berry) did was nothing short of a miracle,” Cheatham said. “The fact that he happened to be traveling back to Goodyear at that exact moment gives me chills. He wasn’t supposed to be there, but he was.”
The early-morning crash on May 25 involved multiple vehicles on Interstate 10 near 91st Avenue. As flames engulfed one of the vehicles, Berry, who was returning from transporting a prisoner, acted without hesitation. He broke the driver’s side window, pulled the woman from the burning car, and sustained injuries to his own hand in the process.
