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Memorial to Casey Rivara near the scene of the accident in Rocklin, California
Photo: Sophie Austin / AP
His love of animals was Casey Rivara's undoing: Near the Californian capital of Sacramento, the 41-year-old wanted to bring a mother duck and her chicks safely across a busy intersection. During a red light phase, he got out of his car in the suburb of Rocklin, stopped the traffic and guided the animals safely across the road.
Witnesses observed the incident, which took place on Thursday at around 8:15 a.m. local time. "All the ducks made it safely across the crossing," said eleven-year-old Jude Peterson. "He's done something amazing."
But when Rivara ran back to his car, he was hit by another vehicle. He was thrown into the air by the impact and died at the scene of the accident. The 41-year-old is survived by his wife, an eleven-year-old daughter and a six-year-old son. The couple had been together for 23 years, according to the family.
Compassion to the end
"Casey was the kindest, most fantastic husband and father. Even the last act of his life was a sign of his sympathy," the deceased's aunt, Tracey Rivara, wrote in an online appeal for donations for his bereaved. Just under $111,000 had been raised by Wednesday morning.
At the wheel of the accident car was a 17-year-old. She is currently being questioned by local investigators and is cooperating fully, said Rocklin's police chief Scott Horrillo. Witnesses would also be heard and video recordings analyzed.
No evidence of negligence
"At the moment, we have no reason to believe that there has been negligent behavior," Horrillo said. It was probably a tragic accident.
At the scene of the accident, people left condolences and flowers for Rivara. Eleven-year-old eyewitness Jude Peterson was in shock after the incident. He was in tears when he came home, said his mother, Summer Peterson. However, the initial horror had now given way to a deep admiration for the animal rescuer. "He did the right thing," the boy reportedly said.
ala/AP