TAMARAC, FLA. (WSVN) - The wife of a man who had his Tesla stolen in a carjacking during a dangerous police chase spoke with 7News about the phone call he made to her as it was happening.
He was caught in the chaos of a police chase and was forced out of his car at gunpoint, Wednesday.
It’s hard to imagine what that victim and his family have been through after South Florida watched the whole thing play out.
“I thought he was dead; I didn’t know what was happening,” said Daniela Cristea. “I heard sirens, and it was just extremely scary, scariest moment ever.”
Cristea said she could only fear the worst when her husband frantically called her on his Apple Watch minutes after he was carjacked at gunpoint on live TV.
“I know there was something wrong because I heard sirens, and I couldn’t hear him,” Cristea said.
The frightening moments happened along Commercial Boulevard in Tamarac after Edward Foster, 22, and Matthew Geimer Jr., also 22, led police on a tri-county high-speed chase that began in North Miami after officers there responded to an armed carjacking.
The men would then head north, zigzagging through traffic before they attempted to steal another car along the way but were unsuccessful.
Once they reached Northwest 50th Terrace, Geimer got out and pulled a rifle at Cristea’s husband and forced him out of his Tesla.
Geimer attempted to flee, but an officer rammed into the Tesla to subdue him.
At this point, Cristea was racing to her husband of 12 years, praying that he was safe.
“He was scared, he was scared,” Cristea said. “I wasn’t able to see him for a while. Once I got there, of course he was scared.”
Cristea is also extremely grateful.
“I’m thankful for him coming home last night,” she said. “I’m thankful for the officers who stopped the vehicle, and I’m thankful he got out of that car and gave it up.”
Despite his scary encounter, and almost losing his life, he was right back at work early Thursday morning.
“He’s a doctor. He saves lives everyday, so he went to take care of his patients. That’s what he does,” Cristea said. “He’s a good man.”
Cristea told 7News that their 9-year-old daughter was also shaken up by the whole incident, but spoke to her school counselors for support.
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