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We live in the kind of horrendously random world where sometimes kindness kills.

In an absolutely tragic incident in California on May 18, a father-of-two was killed by a driver as he was trying to help a family of ducks cross the road.

It was around 8PM when Casey Rivara parked his car at an intersection to help usher a group of ducklings off the road to safety. In the midst of his kind act, the 41-year-old was mowed down by another car, reported The Independent, and died at the scene.

The driver was a 17-year-old girl, according to the police, who stayed at the scene although no arrests were made and the driver is not expected to face charges.

To make this situation even more gut-wrenching, a couple of kids cheering the father on had seen him being knocked over. One witness, a 12-year-old boy, recalls how several cars had stopped to clap for Rivara:

“He got out of the car and he was shooing the ducks and everyone was clapping because he was being really nice,” the young boy said. “He helped them get up on the curb because all the little baby duckies were having trouble.”

He said that he and his mother rolled down the window to thank the man for his good deed but seconds later he was hit by the car:

“All I remember is the sound and then him flying across the intersection,” the 12-year-old said.

Another family, Summer Peterson and her children also watched the terrible incident unfold:

“They were saying, ‘Oh it’s so cute. It’s so nice of him.’ And then all of the sudden he was hit by a car,” Ms Peterson said.

In a video taken by KCRA, members of the community seemed to have started a small memorial for Rivara by leaving flowers and rubber ducks near the intersection:

Rivara’s family have also organised a GoFundMe page, where they describe their loved one as the “kindest, most amazing husband and father”:

“Even his last act in this world was a sign of his compassion. The family is trying to figure out how to recover and keep going after this immense loss. If you would like to express your love and support for Angel and her family, we ask that you please contribute here in lieu of flowers, meals, and other acts of kindness.”

Nobody should pay such a price for a good deed. May Casey rest in peace and may his family find solace as they grieve this unimaginable loss.

[source:independent]