In the early hours of May 25, a Goodyear Police officer, Dakota Berry, rescued a woman from a burning car on Interstate 10 near 91st Avenue. Officer Berry was on his way back from booking a suspect into jail when he came across the multi-vehicle accident. According to FOX 10 Phoenix, the officer found one of the cars ablaze and the driver inside honking for help. Berry quickly took action to smash the driver’s side window, managing to save the woman, whose hair was caught on fire, despite sustaining serious burns himself.
The officer proceeded to use a fire extinguisher to put out the flames after an attempt to use his own hands. Despite his injuries, Berry continued to set out flares to prevent further accidents on the highway. He was later hospitalized and is expected to recover fully. The rescued woman, Asharie Cheatham was taken to a hospital in critical condition but is also predicted to survive. "In an extraordinary twist of fate, the woman is the daughter of a Goodyear Firefighter," police told FOX 10 Phoenix.
Speaking to the media on May 28, Officer Berry downplayed his brave actions, stating, "You know, just simply doing my job," in a news conference covered by FOX 10 Phoenix. Goodyear Police Chief Brian Issitt praised the officer heavily, commending his "heroic and selfless act" and calling it a "powerful reminder of the strength of our public safety family and the extraordinary sacrifices made in service to others."
Body camera footage released by the police department captured the harrowing rescue, showing Berry breaking through the car window as the victim screamed for help. This detail was included in a follow-up by AZ Central, which also shared Berry's humbleness at the news conference: "Just doing my job," he stated. "I have no doubt that any other officers, within this community and this department, would've done the same thing." Fire Captain Simeon Cheatham, father of the woman saved by Officer Berry, offered his deep gratitude for the support his family has received and praised his daughter’s resilience in a statement.
The cause of the crash has not been determined, and information regarding other injuries in the crash has not been released. The story has been updated with additional information and video evidence of the rescue as it continues to develop.
