TEMPE, Ariz. (WSVN) — A driver who happened to be at the right place at the right time to prevent a suspected drunk driver from hitting a family has received a new car.
According to Fox 10, Carvana gifted 27-year-old Shannon Vivar a 2018 Chevrolet Cruz after seeing shocking video showing the moment Vivar stopped a suspected drunk driver from hitting a family crossing the street.
Video of the crash went viral after it was shared by Phoenix Police on Oct. 23.
The clip shows the suspected drunk driver running a red light at an intersection on Oct. 14 and nearly hitting the family before Vivar, who happened to be driving through the intersection, took the hit herself.
The driver, identified by police as Ernesto Otanez Oveso, was later arrested and charged.
Vivar suffered minor injuries, but she said she is happy the situation didn’t end up worse. “I kind of think it was meant to happen,” she said at a news conference Thursday.
Vivar’s 3 year-old son and her mother were also in the car with her at the time of the crash.
“It was the wrong time at the wrong place, but then the right time at the right place. We’re all blessed that we’re all alive,” Vivar’s mother said.
“When we heard about this, we recognized her as a community hero, and when you watch the video it’s so compelling we wanted to reach out to this woman and thank her for this remarkable action,” Teresa Aragon with Carvana told Fox 10.
Vivar said the gift was unexpected.
“I’ve been having a hard time coping with everything, and this makes me feel really good,” she said. “I’ve cried. I’ve never actually had anything like this happen to me, so it was really, really new to me.”
Along with the new car, Vivar also got a few other treats, including a new car seat for her son and tickets to Disneyland.
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