Follow us on Telegram for the latest updates: https://t.me/mothershipsg
A man in California, U.S., died after he was hit by a car while helping a family of ducks cross a road.
The incident happened on May. 18, 2023.
According to BBC, the man was 41-year-old Casey Rivara.
The Rocklin Police Department said in a press release that the man parked his vehicle at an intersection while trying to help the ducks cross the road.
At around 8:15 pm, a car, driven by a teen, struck the man down.
Californian news outlet KCRA 3 stated the driver was a 17-year-old girl.
Witnesses said that Rivara made sure the ducks had reached safely before the accident happened, BBC reported.
The teenage driver remained at the scene, said the police.
However, the man was pronounced dead when emergency first responders arrived on the scene.
"No arrest was made, and the incident is still under investigation," said the police.
Everyone clapped when the man escorted the ducks off the road
A 12-year-old boy William told KCRA 3 that Rivara stepped out of his car and shooed the ducks off the road.
"Everyone was clapping because he was being really nice," said William to KCRA 3.
William added that no one moved through the intersection despite the lights being green.
"He helped them get up over the curb because all the little baby duckies were having trouble," said William.
Once the ducks reached safety, William and other witnesses applauded Rivara's actions, reported KCRA 3.
Willaim and his mother even rolled the window down to praise Rivara but "the second after that", the car hit Rivara.
While William said that he did not see the car hit Rivara, he heard the sound and saw Rivara fly across the intersection.
Willaim also told KCRA 3 that the car "seemed to come out of nowhere".
"He was the only person to get out of the car and try and help them and probably the nicest person in the area. It's not fair," Willaim told KCRA 3.
GoFundMe set up by relatives
Relatives of Rivara set up an online fundraiser on GoFundMe.
They said that Rivara was driving his children home from their swim practice "when they saw a mama duck and ducklings struggling to cross a busy intersection".
"Casey got out of the car to help the ducks safely across the road. However, when he was heading back to the car, he was tragically struck by a car and passed away at the scene."
As of now, US$108,042 (S$144,456) has been raised.
Top photo via KCRA 3/Youtube