An Ohio father is behind bars after he tossed his infant from his speeding vehicle during a police chase earlier this month.
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According to the New York Post, the terrifying, heart-pounding incident occurred on Dec. 1. Officers of the Bryan Police Department in Bryan, Ohio, were chasing the father, identified as Zachary Chervenka, when the infant, still strapped to a car seat, was launched from Chervenka’s car.
The car seat landed on a nearby median on the Ohio highway. The infant’s mother appeared on the scene minutes later.
“Is that a car seat?” as the mother pulled up on a highway off-ramp.
“Oh my God, that’s the car seat there!” the mother yelled. “Oh God, please let me out.”
She then sprinted out of the police officer’s vehicle. Although cold, the infant was alive.
“Baby boy! Baby boy!” the mother screamed. “Oh, Mama’s got you. He’s so cold. Baby. OK. Mama’s here. Mama’s here. Oh baby, my baby.”
As she sobbed and hugged her infant, the mother said, “I’m so sorry,” and “Mama’s got you.”
Chervenka reportedly had several arrest warrants, including assault and burglary. He had been sitting in the parking lot at a local Walmart while the mother was shopping when police officers spotted him.
As he was being questioned by police, Chervenka decided to make a run for it. He took off with the infant and the infant’s 5-year-old sister still inside the vehicle.
The Mother Revealed the Father Had Contacted Her About the Infant’s Whereabouts Amid Police Chase
While being questioned by police officers, the mother revealed that Chervenka had called her to say he had left the infant on the side of the road and gave her the location.
The infant was rushed to nearby Toledo Hospital and was listed in fair condition. The other child was found safe.
Chervenka was arrested in Edgerton the next day and received multiple charges, including assault, child endangerment, failure to comply, and car theft. He is currently being held without bail.
Williams County court documents obtained by local media outlet WANE revealed that Chervenka allegedly sped past a red light and stop signs during the police chase. The man is also accused of speeding over 100 mph on a “heavily traveled U.S. highway.”
The police chase notably ended after 15 minutes due to the weather and high speeds. However, it took an hour for the infant to be found on the highway in what was described as below-freezing weather conditions.