A grieving wife whose husband was killed during an act of kindness has spoken out after the tragic accident.
41-year-old Casey Rivara was a father-of-two from California who was mowed down by a 17-year-old driver at the Park Drive and Stanford Ranch Boulevard intersection in Rocklin after exiting his vehicle to help a family of ducks cross the busy road.
While the father, whose young children were waiting for him in his car, managed to get the ducks to safety, he was struck and killed by a vehicle just moments later.
Rivara’s grieving wife, Angel Chow, has since spoken out and paid her dear husband a touching tribute as she thanked people for the support they’ve shown to her family and her children, 6-year-old James and 11-year-old Sophia, since the incident.
“We have been deeply touched by the overwhelming love and support we’ve received for Casey Rivara and our family in these past few days,” the widow wrote in a statement.
“We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to all of you for the kind messages and gestures of kindness.
“It’s truly humbling to hear how Casey has positively impacted your lives, and we’re extremely grateful for that.”
Ms. Chow also dubbed her late husband the best father, friend, and son that anyone could ask for as she said he will be remembered for his “kindness, big heart, and sense of humor.”
“My heart is in a thousand pieces and I don’t know how to put them back together… but I am honored to know that he left us while making positive impacts to others, even it was for animals,” the woman concluded.
The tear-jerking tribute comes shortly after Tracey Rivara, Casey’s aunt, launched a GoFundMe page to help the struggling family get through the ordeal.
So far, the fundraiser has already racked up over $112K in donations.
“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,” she wrote on the page.
“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.”
As the investigation into the deadly collision continues, legal experts confirmed that Casey’s family could be entitled to a wrongful death claim.
“It is almost always a driver’s duty to yield to any pedestrian. Family members of wrongful death victims may seek damages for loss of income and companionship, pain and suffering, funeral expenses, and emotional distress following a tragic or catastrophic accident,” Stefano Formica of Bond Legal explained.
As of this writing, the 17-year-old driver of the vehicle that struck Mr. Rivara has not been charged with any wrongdoing.
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