Over $140,000 Raised For Man Who Died Helping Ducks Cross The Road

Credit: GoFundMe

For the family of a kind-hearted father who passed away while assisting a family of ducks cross the road, more than $140,000 has been raised.

Casey Rivara, 41, had parked his car near a crossroads on a Californian highway and gotten out when he observed a mother duck and her group of ducklings attempting to cross the busy traffic.

In order to get the family across the street safely, he stood by them and tried to slow down traffic.

William Wimsatt

Casey's helpful act tragically turned out to be a mistake. He was struck and killed by a car driven by a 17-year-old as he was making his way back to his car.

A GoFundMe campaign has already been created to collect funds to help Casey's widow Ngating Chow and her two kids, Sophia, 11, and James, 6, to get by.

The page was created by his aunt Tracy Rivara, who also wrote a memorial to her nephew: "Casey was 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.”

"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."

The GoFundMe page's initial fundraising goal was $30,000. However, as of the writing of this article, it has already received donations totaling more than $141,000.

When Casey stepped out of the car to perform his duty, several families were there. One of them, 12-year-old William Wimsatt, caught him on camera helping the ducks in across the street and even thanked him afterward.

William Wimsatt

He told 3KCRA: "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."

Since then, rubber ducks have been placed at the spot as a tribute to the father of two.

The 17-year-old who was allegedly involved in the crash stayed at the scene.

Credit: KCRA 3

Despite the fact that the investigation is still underway, the police believe it is unlikely that they will be charged with a crime.

The reason for the death is still being looked at by police.

A 17-year-old girl who was the driver is cooperating with police and is not currently in custody.