Pennsylvania woman accused of DUI, abandoning two toddlers inside car after Maryland police chase
By Christopher DeRose, Mike Darnay
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HENRY CLAY TOWNSHIP, Pennsylvania (WJZ) — A woman from western Pennsylvania was arrested Tuesday after allegedly leading police in Maryland on a chase and abandoning two toddlers inside a vehicle in Fayette County.
Pennsylvania State Police say 25-year-old Samantha Cherry of Confluence is facing charges in both Pennsylvania and Maryland.
Cherry allegedly left her husband while they were out running errands and drove their Chevy Cobalt with her two sons still in their car seats back to their home in Confluence, Pennsylvania. The family says that she had been drinking since that morning.
Her husband alerted Maryland State Police and they pursued Samantha into Pennsylvania. Samantha ditched her car at her house, leaving the two boys locked inside. She then took off in another vehicle.
Maryland State police landed a helicopter across the street from the abandoned car to rescue the kids.
“We pop over the hill and this whole valley here was — you know, a police helicopter across the field,” said April Knapp, the boys’ grandmother. “There was a whole street lined with police, police surrounding the car, and so it was just that moment of relief knowing that help was here, because I didn’t know whether or not the babies were actually safe.”
Cherry didn’t get far in the other vehicle, however. Just a few miles down the road, she crashed and was arrested by Pennsylvania State Police.
Knapp says that right now this family is just grateful for all the first responders who helped them.
“The responses was just overwhelming. Any time children are involved you want everyone to take it seriously. As I told all of them, the response and everything was just outstanding. The things that they do for everyone, especially in this situation,” Knapp said.
After the crash, Cherry was taken into custody and is facing DUI and child endangerment charges in Pennsylvania and is expected to face multiple traffic violations in Maryland.
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