Man Killed During Turtle Rescue on Florida Interstate
A tragic scene unfolded Sunday afternoon on a Florida highway when an elderly man trying to save a turtle was struck and killed.
According to multiple reports, the unidentified 77-year-old man from Vermont was traveling on I-95 in Indian River County when he spotted a turtle on the highway.
The Florida Highway Patrol says the man stopped his vehicle on the right shoulder of the highway and started crossing the southbound lanes to get to the turtle.
It's unclear if the elderly man mistimed his rescue attempt, but a 44-year-old woman from Miami who was driving a 2020 Mazda CX-9 with a 49-year-old male passenger barely managed to slow down while driving in the center lane. She tried to avoid hitting the man, but a 2020 Dodge 3500 pickup truck couldn't stop in time, resulting in the truck rear-ending the Mazda, which caused it to careen off the side of the road.
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The pickup truck then struck the elderly man, who was thrown to the left shoulder on the highway. The pickup truck was being driven by a 53-year-old man from Port St. Lucie. Neither person in the vehicles were injured in the two-vehicle crash.
The elderly man was pronounced dead at the scene. According to multiple reports, the elderly man's next of kin was there when the tragedy unfolded and saw the man succumb to his injuries.
The horrific accident shut all lanes for hours.