Gloucester County, Va. - A 36-year-old father was hit and killed by a car while trying to help a driver stranded in the middle of the road. Now Patrick Danforth's sister, Patricia says she is most proud of her bother in the last moments of his life.
"It makes me really proud of him. I kind of feel like he's a hero," said Patricia. "If he sees a need or someone in trouble, he's the first one to come and help."
That's what happened around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday on Providence Road in Gloucester County near Route 17. State police say Danforth saw a car stranded in the road and took action to help.
"It was a very dangerous situation," Patricia said. "So my brother, being the person that he is, got out and got that car to safety by pushing it across a very dangerous road. As he was re-crossing the road, he was hit by a car going very fast and went about 100 feet."
State police say the 50-year-old driver who hit him had a green light and isn't being charged.
"It was just a bad accident," Patricia added.
Patricia says the driver did come back to the scene and the two families grieved together.
"It was difficult but at the same time it felt good to know they cared and that they were concerned about him just as much as we were," Patricia said.
But what is even more difficult for this sister today, is the fact her family is planning a funeral instead of celebrating Christmas.
“We have gifts that are wrapped with his name on it,” she added. “It’s just really hard.”
The family says Danforth didn’t have any insurance so they have set up a gofundme page to cover his funeral expenses.
