People have flocked to support the family of a man who was killed in front of his children moments after he helped a family of ducks cross a busy highway.
Casey Rivara displayed his kind-hearted nature on May 19, as he pulled over on a Californian highway after he saw some ducks attempting to cross the road.
The father of two left his kids and wife in the car as he stopped traffic to help the birds cross safely, and members of the public filmed his heroic actions.
As reported by CBS News, on his way back to his car, Rivara was tragically hit by a 17-year-old driver and he was declared dead at the scene.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, a GoFundMe page was set up in order to support his wife, Angel Chow, and their two children aged 11 and six.
People have rushed to honor the memory of Rivara as over $150,000 has been raised in his name from an intended target of $30,000.
The page was set up by Tracey Rivara, who has since offered an update to those who have sent their condolences to the family.
"Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for the outpouring of support," she began. "Since this terrible tragedy, we have received so many messages and gestures of support and are deeply touched by everyone’s kindness and generosity.
"It means so much to us to know that Casey touched so many lives, and his memory will live on. It gives us some solace to know that in this tragedy so many people can find a message of love and compassion. Keep being kind!"
Rivara's aunt also penned details about how her nephew met his wife, and it is clear that their relationship was one full of romance.
"Casey met Angel, the love of his life, at age 17, when she joined his high school as an exchange student from Hong Kong," Tracey wrote. "They quickly fell madly in love and remained inseparable partners for the past 23 years. They have been blessed with two beautiful children, Sophia (11) and James (6).
"His family was Casey’s world, and to remain even closer to them he had recently started working at their children's school. He loved working at the school as he was able to positively impact other children."
Chow has since spoken out about losing her husband, where she revealed she was "touched" by everyone's generosity, and that she was "humbled" about how everyone was moved by her husband's story.
William Wimsatt, a 12-year-old who was on the scene when the incident occurred, told 3KCRA: "He [Rivara] 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."
After stopping to speak to William and his family, Rivara was then struck by the driver. "All I remember is the sound and then him flying across the intersection," William said.
He continued: "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."
Our thoughts remain with Rivara's loved ones.
