An elderly man was struck and killed while trying to save a turtle on a Florida highway over the weekend, authorities said. The man, identified as an 87-year-old from Vermont, was trying to retrieve a turtle from Interstate 95 in Indian River County, Florida, on July 6, according to a release from the Florida Highway Patrol. One car slowed to allow the man to pass, but another driver did not stop in time, causing the two cars to collide. One of the cars hit the man and he was pronounced dead at the scene, FHP said. The turtle did not survive, Jim Beauford, the chief of public affairs for the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, confirmed to USA TODAY. Officials did not identify the man in the press release; FHP told USA TODAY it only lists the names of individuals in press releases if they have been arrested. The man was crossing I-95 southbound north of Sebastian Boulevard around 4:20 p.m. local time on July 6, FHP said. The driver of a black Mazda SUV slowed to allow the man to pass, but another driver in a white Dodge pickup did not stop in time and collided with the Mazda, officials said. The Mazda veered off the road and crashed into a fence, while the Dodge truck struck the man. He succumbed to his injuries on scene, FHP said. The drivers of the Mazda and Dodge — a 44-year-old female and 53-year-old male, respectively — as well as a passenger in the Mazda were all uninjured in the incident, authorities said. Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached atmelina.khan@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Man killed while trying to save turtle on Florida highway
