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Man hailed hero for saving family in 121 mph crash involving suspected drunk driver

A last-minute decision saved the lives of a West Virginia man and his family before they were hit by a car going over 120 mph.

AKRON, Ohio — A last-minute decision saved the lives of a West Virginia man and his family before they were hit by a car going over 120 mph.

Officials say the man behind the wheel was 28-year-old Ciriaco Perez, who had been deported twice before, and previously accused of driving while intoxicated.

The crash happened around 8 p.m. Friday on US 250, just east of Wooster.

Josh Fields was driving with his fiancé, Brittany Sorn, along with sons Jackston Fields, 9, and Jett Sorn, 4.

He said he saw Perez’s vehicle careening towards him, and had to act fast. His choices? Head toward a hill, hit the car head on, or swerve hard to the right to avoid certain death.

Fields’ decision saved the lives of his family members, as he endured most of the impact.

Suffering 11 broken bones, a lacerated spleen and several broken ribs, Fields is recovering at Summa Akron City Hospital, and is feeling grateful to be alive.

Brittany Sorn told us that she looks at her fiancé as the hero, but his act of bravery is nothing new to her as Fields always puts others before himself.

Sorn suffered a lacerated ear and internal bruising.

Jackston has been recovering at Akron Children’s Hospital with a fractured pelvis. He was released today.

Jett has multiple bruises but is otherwise doing well.

Meanwhile, Perez was briefly hospitalized after the crash, only doors down from Sorn.

Officials say he was deported once in 2007, and again in 2010. He was also arrested in 2015 for an incident involving driving while intoxicated.

Perez was allegedly driving a car that had been dropped off to him for service; he did not have permission to drive it. Perez reportedly told troopers he had been drinking, but the results from the BAC test have not yet been released.

He’s now being held in the Geauga County Jail on orders of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). We left messages for representatives with ICE for Perez’s mugshot, but had not heard back at the time of this report.

Fields and Sorn are supposed to be married in less than six weeks. Fields told me that the wedding is happening, even if he has to get wheeled down the aisle.

Family and friends have set up a GoFundMe account to help the Fields family. If you want to help, click here.

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