A father from California was tragically killed after being hit by a car on Thursday night while he was helping a family of ducks cross a hectic road, according to witnesses.
The incident occurred on Stanford Ranch Road and Park Drive in Rocklin, located about 22 miles from Sacramento, shortly after 8 in the evening.
William Wimsatt, a twelve-year-old boy who was present at the scene, described to KCRA 3 that the man had gotten out of his car to guide the ducks away from the traffic.
“He got out of his automobile and was scaring the ducks away, and everyone was applauding him for being so kind,” William said.
The young lad took pictures of the unknown man with his cellphone as the ducks and the man walked in front of his mom’s car.
“He aided them in climbing the curb as the small baby duckies were having difficulty and then he walked in front of our car,” the kid reported.
As the ducks reached the other side of the road, cars from the crowd drove by and praised the kind act of the good Samaritan.
“My mom rolled down the window and said, ‘Good job, good job’ and I said, ‘Good job’ to him as well,” William told.
Right after that, the man was hit by a car that came out of nowhere.
“I didn’t observe the car really hitting him. All I recall is the sound and then him flying across the intersection,” he stated.
Another woman, Summer Peterson, said that her child also witnessed the disaster.
“They were saying, ‘Oh, it’s so cute. It’s so nice of him.’ And then all of a sudden he was struck by a car,” she told KOVR at a memorial for the man on Friday.
After the accident, William’s mother got out of her car and tried to console the man’s children, who saw the crash happen.
A memorial consisting of rubber ducks and flowers was created at the corner where the accident took place.
William expressed that he desires people to remember the man for his benevolence.
“He was the only one to get out of the car and try to aid them and likely the nicest person in the entire region. It’s not fair,” he said.
The cause of the death is still being investigated by the police.
The driver, a seventeen year old girl, is cooperating with the authorities and is not facing any charges.
KOVR reported that DUI is not suspected.