Woman, 34, ‘had throat cut by man she was driving in her car while daughter, 4, was also in backseat’

A 34-YEAR-old mother and her young daughter were saved by a passerby after the woman’s throat was cut on the side of a highway.

The assailant was a man who had been riding as a passenger in the car, according to the Shawano County Sheriff’s Office in Wisconsin.

The vehicle stopped at the side of Highway 45 when the 31-year-old man stabbed the woman, The TCH Daily News reported.

“This was a domestic violence situation and was one of those cases where it turned very violent, Shawano County Sheriff Adam Bieber told the newspaper.

Someone who happened to be nearby came to the woman’s aid and took her and her 4-year-old daughter to safety.

“This person intervened when they did not have to,” Sheriff Bieber told the newspaper.

“We will never know for sure, but it likely saved the woman’s life and likely saved the child’s life.”

The sheriff added: “Everybody is responsible for what is happening in their community, and if there are able body persons out there that can help people and they feel comfortable, safe and prepared enough to help someone in need, they should.”

“We are thankful that this person saw an opportunity and took it.”

The man was taken into custody, and an investigation is ongoing.

The woman is a resident of Wittenberg, according to TV station WFRV.

Wittenberg is a village in Shawano County with a population of about 1,000.

The mother’s condition is not known.