Elderly Man Dies Trying to Rescue a Turtle

An act of compassion on a busy Florida highway turned tragic when an elderly Vermont man was fatally struck by a vehicle while trying to rescue a turtle from traffic. Frank J. Quinn, variously described as 77 or 87, died on Florida's I-95 near Indian River County on Sunday after walking across the southbound lanes to reach the animal just before 4:30pm, Florida Highway Patrol said, per People. While he was on the road, a 2020 Mazda CX-9 in the center lane slowed down to avoid hitting him. However, a 2020 Dodge 3500 pickup truck behind the Mazda was unable to slow in time, rear-ending the Mazda.

The Mazda was sent off the road and into a fence, while the Dodge struck Quinn, throwing him onto the left shoulder of the highway. He was pronounced dead at the scene, with his next of kin present. No injuries were reported among the other drivers or passengers involved. The driver of the pickup was a 53-year-old Port St. Lucie man, and the SUV was operated by a 44-year-old Miami woman. The condition of the turtle remains unknown. All southbound lanes were closed for about four hours after the crash, leaving hundreds of drivers stranded, per WESH.