Crazed Man Chases Down Deputy's Wife & Daughter with Truck. Mom Dies Saving 11-Year-Old
Amy Chervenak has been a paramedic, respiratory technician, and physician assistant. Her training and experience allowed her to save lives.
Her family has a fond memory from 1993 of Chervenak at Disneyland. A woman collapsed from heat stroke.
Chervenak diagnosed the woman and cared for her before others even noticed what happened. Her actions reflected who she was and how she was trained to respond.
Nothing could prepare her for what would happen right outside her home on Nov. 29, 2017. A mother rarely needs training on how to respond when her child is targeted.
Chervenak and her daughter, 11, were walking outside on the sidewalk. Trent Ferree, 45, was intentionally driving his truck directly toward the 11-year-old.
He struck both the mother and daughter. The girl was pulled under the truck so Chervenak responded by pulling her daughter out.
The driver backed up the truck to hit Chervenak again. He again targeted the mother and struck her a third time.
Witness Mike Steinberg yelled at the driver to stop.
“That was the time when the firefighter across the street came out of his house, took the guy out of the vehicle and he was telling me to stay on top of the guy to make sure he didn’t move while he went over to the woman,” Steinberg told KPNX.
Police officers arrived on the scene to a detained Ferree. The mother and daughter were taken to the hospital where Chervenak tragically died from her injuries.
Ferree was charged with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder.
The senseless violence was random; the victims were not targeted because of their Chervenak’s husband’s position with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office as a deputy.
Deputy Sergeant Steve Chervenak lost his wife, and his daughter will need to heal from her injuries and trauma.
According to KNXV, MSCO officials stated, “Our one MCSO team is with Sergeant Chervenak and his family to ensure we provide all possible support during this difficult time.”
A GoFundMe campaign, charity motorcycle ride, and other fundraising efforts will help the family with funeral costs, hospital costs, and rehabilitation costs.
Chervenak was known for her role in helping keep people alive, but the last thing she did before she passed away was save her own daughter’s life.
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