Asharie Cheatham suffered burns to nearly a third of her body when she was involved in a crash on I-10.
GOODYEAR, Ariz. — It’s been two months since Asharie Cheatham was narrowly rescued from a burning car on Interstate 10. Now, she’s coming home.
On May 25, Cheatham — who is the daughter of Goodyear Fire Department Capt. Simeon Cheatham — was involved in a collision on I-10 near 91st Avenue. During the incident, her vehicle caught fire while she was still inside.
By sheer luck, Goodyear Police Officer Dakota Berry was in the middle of taking a suspect to Phoenix when he saw the crash happen.
Berry leaped into action, breaking out the window of Cheatham’s car and pulling her to safety away from the blaze.
“It’s just our job,” Berry previously stated to 12News. “I am confident that any other officer would have acted similarly… I must also express my gratitude to our department for their support and to the fire department’s backing as well.”
Cheatham sustained burns covering approximately one-third of her body. She was admitted to the Valleywise Health burn center, where she has been undergoing recovery for the past few months.
On Thursday, July 10, firefighters and medical professionals gathered to celebrate her as she was finally released from the hospital.
“Asharie is the daughter of our very own Captain Cheatham, and seeing her beautiful smile and resilient spirit walk out those doors meant the world to all of us,” Goodyear fire wrote on social media.
“We’re so grateful to see her recover so quickly and wish her all the strength as she continues her healing journey.”
Cheatham will be going back to the burn center for outpatient physical therapy, Valleywise Health said, but it’s clear that she won’t be facing the future alone.
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