It was one of those moments when the emotional tension was unbearable.
They were driving east on Route 91 in Riverside when they spotted a kitten trapped on the west side.
The woman at the wheel and her passenger, both in their 20s, quickly made a decision.
They exited on the opposite side and returned, slowing to about 30 mph in the HOV lane with their hazard lights on.
They saw the kitten. The driver hit the brakes and stopped, pulling out of the lane as far as the narrow shoulder would allow. The passenger jumped out, took off his coat and grabbed the kitten.
And that’s when a beautiful moment turned into a disaster on Wednesday afternoon.
According to the California Highway Patrol, a vehicle behind failed to brake in time and crashed into the center divider, heading straight into the man holding the cat.
The man thought he was going to be killed, lost the cat and tried to jump over the wall.
To avoid this, the driver moved to the other side, cut the bumper of another car and then crossed all lanes of the road until the car collided with the tractor trailer.
Good news? No one was seriously injured; the Riverside Fire Department said one person was taken to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries. This was reported by CBS.. Apparently, Nim didn’t know when he was hit. And the cat escaped with his life.
But this isn’t necessarily over for future anonymous rescuers. Riverside CHP Public Information Officer Javier Navarro said the case is under investigation for possible emergency stop violations and obstructing traffic.
“The good thing is the cat made it, but these people made a huge mess,” Navarro said. “Who pulls into their driveway like that?”
