Man killed by car after shepherding ducklings across road to safety

When a flock of ducklings struggled to cross a busy four-lane intersection in suburban Sacramento, a 41-year-old motorist parked his car in the middle of the road and jumped out to shepherd them to safety.

This was the final act of kindness for the unidentified man, who was struck and killed by a sports utility vehicle as he attempted to return to his car Thursday evening, authorities said.

The Rocklin Police Department said in a statement that the man died in the intersection of Park Drive and Stanford Ranch Boulevard around 8:15 p.m. after attempts to revive him failed.

The driver of the other vehicle, identified as a 17-year-old girl, remained at the scene until paramedics arrived, authorities said. She had not been charged with a crime as of Monday evening, said Rocklin Police Capt. Scott Horrillo. The investigation is ongoing.

“Our major accident investigation team is analyzing the data and witness statements of what transpired,” Horrillo said. “We’re looking at a timeline of about 10 to 14 days before we issue an official report.”

Horrillo, a 28-year veteran of the department, said the death was part of a troubling trend. There have been four vehicular deaths in Rocklin in the last year, he said, three of them involving pedestrians attempting to cross the street.

“Unfortunately, this is becoming all too common,” he said. “We had gone years without traffic fatalities.”

Horrillo said the department was “extending its condolences” to all involved.

While Horrillo said it is “uncommon” to see ducks attempt to cross the street, the area is filled with seasonal ponds.

He noted that the intersection is in a residential area, and traffic would have been modest, with “people going home from sporting events and dinner.”

Horrillo said his office was unable to identify the man killed. A call to the Placer County coroner’s office was not immediately returned Monday afternoon.

A GoFundMe campaign identified the man as Casey Rivara, a married father of two who worked as a teacher. The account had raised more than $41,000 as of Monday afternoon.