Crazy things happen during police chases. Cars recklessly achieve high speeds, cause collateral damage, and sometimes wreck spectacularly. However, while running from the police is never advisable, discarding a baby in a car seat is a straight-up reprehensible crime. 

A car seat protected a nine-month-old baby after his dad threw him out of the car on an Ohio highway during a high-speed chase

Bryan Police Department officers were involved in a high-speed pursuit just outside of Toledo, Ohio. The suspect, 32-year-old Zachary Chervenka, drove away from police with two children on board and an open door. Authorities had multiple arrest warrants for Chervenka, including burglary and assault. 

Brazenly, Chervenka hit triple-digit speeds in his attempt to lose the police with his nine-month-old baby and five-year-old daughter in the vehicle. A wild dash cam video shows the car take a dramatic right-side exit. However, in the process, Chervenka ejects the nine-month-old into the night. The child, still strapped in the car seat, came to a rest in the grass next to the highway. Chervenka kept on driving, leaving the child behind.

Fortunately, law enforcement wasn’t far behind. They brought the child’s mom, who sprinted from the patrol car to investigate the discarded car seat. She found the nine-month-old baby still strapped in, cold but otherwise unharmed. The mother was understandably relieved to find the child alive and uninjured by the jettison. 

According to WLWT5, the authorities found the five-year-old daughter at a friend’s home. As for Chervenka, police arrested him with the help of a K-9 unit at an apartment complex. Of the charges Chervenka faces, he’s looking at endangerment charges for putting the children in harm’s way. However, he’s also likely looking at charges related to evading arrest, failing to stop, and reckless driving. After all, he led police officers on a high-speed chase at over 100 mph. 

Check out a video of the wild dramatic rescue below! The content may be distressing; we advise discretion.