Tragic Accident as Elderly Man Loses Life Saving Turtle on Florida Highway

A heartbreaking incident took place on Sunday along Interstate 95 in Indian River County, Florida, where a 77-year-old resident of Vermont lost his life in a noble attempt to rescue a turtle.

The unfortunate event occurred in the southbound lanes at approximately 4:20 p.m., just a bit north of Sebastian Boulevard, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

While the man was crossing the highway, a series of collisions was triggered. A female driver from Miami decelerated her car to avoid hitting him, but the driver of a Dodge Ram truck behind her couldn't keep his vehicle under control and crashed into hers.

The impact caused her vehicle to be pushed off the road, crashing through a fence and halting on the western side of the interstate. Meanwhile, the Dodge Ram didn’t stop and struck the Vermont man, fatally injuring him.

Emergency personnel arrived on the scene and confirmed the man had passed away upon their arrival.

The driver of the Dodge Ram, a 53-year-old from Port St. Lucie, and a 44-year-old woman along with her 49-year-old male passenger in the other vehicle, emerged from the crash unharmed.

As the result of the crash, the southbound lanes on I-95 were temporarily shut down to facilitate a thorough investigation by the authorities.

The condition of the turtle following the accident remains unknown, and the Florida Highway Patrol has yet to provide a comment on the matter to ABC News.