Heroic California Father is killed by car just moments after helping a family of ducks cross the road
A California father has been killed by a car after heroically assisting a family of ducks across a busy California highway.
The as-yet-unnamed man parked his car by the side of the road and ushered the mother and her family of ducklings across the intersection of Park Drive and Stanford Ranch Boulevard in Rocklin, California on Friday evening.
Tragically the man was hit by a 17-year-old female driver and killed as his helpless children watched on from the family car. Police say the teen remained at the scene and is cooperating fully with the investigation.
The sweet act of kindness was captured by 12-year-old William Wimsatt, the child of another driver. Speaking to 3KCRA William said: ‘He got out of the car, he was shooing the ducks everyone was clapping because he was being really nice.
‘He helped them get up on the curb because the baby duckies were having trouble.’
The Wimsatt family thanked the man for his good deed, but moments later a car travelling eastbound on Stanford Ranch Boulevard struck and killed the good Samaritan.
‘All I remember is the sound and then him flying across the intersection,’ he added, ‘his shoes and one of his socks were right in front of our car.’
‘He was the only person to get out of the car and try and help them and probably the nicest person in the entire area. It’s not fair,’ William said.
After the incident William’s mother got out of her car and comforted the man’s children who were sitting in the man’s parked car, and unfortunately witnessed the collision.
In the photographs the man, wearing a burgundy t-shirt, black shorts and trainers can be seen moving the ducks to safety.
Another woman, Summer Peterson, said her children also saw the scene unfold.
‘They were saying, ‘Oh, it’s so cute. It’s so nice of him.’ And then all of a sudden he was hit by a car,’ she told CBS 13.
Peterson has created a temporary memorial at the site of the crash, with locals leaving flowers, and her son brought rubber ducks in tribute to the man’s last act of kindness.