OMG! Phoenix, AZ Family Crossing an Intersection Narrowly Escapes Death

In a real-life case of ‘deus ex machina,’ a young family with their baby in a stroller narrowly escaped the unthinkable when a speeding car heading toward them was thankfully knocked out of its path at the last second by an oncoming car.

Traffic video released by the authorities showed the family walking along the crosswalk in the evening, when a Jeep Renegade SUV, driven by one Ernesto Otanez Ovesa, plowed through the red light and barreled toward the unsuspecting family. Collision looked inevitable until a Chevrolet Cruze driven by Shannon Vivar appeared at the last moment, hitting the speeding vehicle out of the family’s way and allowing them to cross the street safely.

Vivar’s mother, Shirley, and her 3-year-old son were in the car with her when the incident happened. Only the younger Vivar suffered minor injuries from the crash.

Meanwhile, the couple and child crossing the street weren’t at all hurt.

“I yelled, ‘Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, Shannon!’ And then we collided,” the elder Vivar said in a news conference. “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.”

Police say that Otanez Oveso, 28, was driving under the influence at the time. The drunk driver was charged with DUI and aggravated assault.

“In this case, when you look at the video, it’s nothing short of a miracle that the family the Renegade was barreling toward didn’t get struck,” said police spokesman Sgt. Tommy Thompson. “They could have suffered injuries that were certainly serious if not life-threatening.”