Casey Rivara GoFundMe raises over $60,000 as California man killed while saving ducks

Casey Rivara, a 42-year-old California man, was struck and killed by a car last week after helping a waddle of ducks cross the road in Rocklin, about 25 miles northeast of Sacramento. In the wake of the tragic incident, a GoFundMe created by the victim’s family has raised more than $60,000, doubling the initial goal of $30,000.

The incident occurred on Thursday, May 18, when a man, identified by family members as Casey Rivara, pulled over at the intersection of Park Drive and Stanford Ranch Boulevard at about 8:15 pm, after seeing a waddle of ducks struggling to cross the road.

Casey Rivara pictured with his family (Image via GoFundMe)

Rivara, who was reportedly driving his two children home after their swim practice at the time, got out of the car to help the animals safely cross the street.

Shortly after helping the ducks cross, Rivara was struck by a teenage driver while he was heading back to the car. In a statement, Rocklin Police Department said:

"The man was reportedly trying to help some ducklings that were in the intersection. As the man was in the intersection, a teenage driver was headed eastbound on Stanford Ranch Boulevard. This juvenile driver struck the pedestrian who was in the roadway."

Casey Rivara reportedly died on impact. The 17-year-old driver stayed on the scene but has not been arrested or charged in the incident while police continue to investigate the case.

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Casey Rivara met his wife when he was 17 years old

Casey Rivara with his wife and kids (Image via GoFundMe)

A fundraiser launched by Casey Rivara’s aunt, Tracy, described the father of two as a fiercely compassionate and kind individual, who in his final act demonstrated his altruism toward helpless animals. The fundraiser stated:

“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.”

The fundraiser said that Casey Rivara met the love of his life when he was a 17-year-old high school student. Rivara’s wife, identified as Angel Chow, was reportedly an exchange student from Hong Kong when she met her husband at the school. The couple reportedly married and have been inseparable for nearly 23 years. Rivara is also survived by his two children, Sophia and James, aged 11 and 6.

According to the fundraiser, Casey Rivara had recently started working at his children's school to stay closer to them. Shortly after the fundraiser was launched, hundreds of donors flooded the page with touching tributes for the victim who died while helping a family of ducks cross the road. A donor commended the selfless last act and said:

“This story broke my heart. There truly is a greater meaning and purpose to this tragedy even if it's unknown at this moment. Prayers to this family for peace and comfort.”

While another donor added:

“Your beautiful soul will be remembered by many now. Casey, your act of kindness deeply touched me.”

In a statement, Angel Chow expressed her gratitude for people’s kindness as the family tries to grapple with the death of her husband. She said:

"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."

A witness at the scene told CBS that her children were applauding Rivara for his act of kindness before he was struck by the vehicle. The witness, Summer Peterson, said:

"They were saying, 'Oh, it's so cute. It's so nice of him.' And then all of a sudden he was hit by a car.”

As per CBS, on Friday flowers and rubber ducks were left at the scene as a memorial for the victim.