Casey Rivara, who died helping ducks across street, remembered by family

The family of the California man killed while helping ducks cross the street remembered the married father of two for his “final act of kindness.”

A fundraiser started by the grieving family of Casey Rivara identified him as the man seen helping a family of ducks get across a busy road on May 18 before he was fatally struck by a car driven by a 17-year-old driver.

“Casey was the kindest, most amazing husband and father,” Casey’s aunt Tracey Rivara said on the verified GoFundMe page.

“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.”

Rivara’s tragic death happened in the city of Rocklin just after 8 p.m. when a witness told KCRA 3 the man left his car to usher the ducks across traffic.

“He got out of the car and shooing the ducks and everyone was clapping because he was being really nice,” said 12-year-old William Wimsatt.

Shortly after the ducks made it safely to the other side of the street, the teen said the man was hit by a car that seemed to come out of nowhere.

“His shoes and one of his socks were right in front of our car,” Wimsatt said.

In the GoFundMe page titled “Casey’s final act of kindness,” Tracey Rivara said Casey was driving his two kids back home from swim practice when he saw the ducks in need of help.

He was hit making his way back to his car when he was hit, the relative said.

He was remembered as a family man who fell “madly in love” with his wife Angel when the pair met at 17, his family said.

She joined his high school as an exchange student from Hong Kong and the two “remained inseparable partners for the past 23 years,” according to the GoFundMe.

“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,” widow Angel Chow said in a statement on Sunday night following her 41-year-old husband’s death, according to NBC News.

“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.”

He leaves behind an 11-year-old daughter and a 6-year-old son.

“His family was Casey’s world, and to remain even closer to them he had recently started working at their children’s school.” his aunt said. “He loved working at the school as he was able to positively impact other children.”

The fundraiser has raised almost $43,000 since it started a day ago.

A makeshift memorial including rubber duckies and flowers was set up near the corner where the incident happened.

The driver is cooperating with authorities and currently not facing charges. 

“We still have a lot of areas and evidence to sort through, but at first look it does not look like there’s going to be any criminal negligence,” Rocklin police Capt. Scott Horrillo told NBC News.