An 86-year-old California mother of seven was struck and killed by a car after rushing into traffic in an attempt to rescue her injured dog.
Mary Wear, known to loved ones as “Meeka,” was helping her dog after it had been hit when she was fatally struck by a vehicle driven by a 70-year-old woman in Apple Valley, in California’s Inland Empire.
The collision happened at approximately 8:15 p.m. on Waalew Road. Wear entered the roadway to save her dog, Benji, who had just been hit by another vehicle.
“Meeka was a beloved mother of seven children, grandmother of four, and great-grandmother of nine. She was the heart of her family, a treasured friend to many, and a woman whose warmth, kindness, and love touched the lives of everyone fortunate enough to know her,” a GoFundMe campaign created for her said.
The fundraiser added that Wear continued living with “enthusiasm and a wonderful sense of purpose” at age 86. In recent months, she had helped her daughter and granddaughter launch the Buc N Doe Restaurant in Fawnskin, a dream they shared.
The GoFundMe campaign aims to fund a “beautiful and lasting” memorial for Wear and her two sons, who died before her. She had already made plans for her own cremation.
The driver who struck Wear stayed at the scene and cooperated with investigators. According to KTLA 5, neither drugs nor alcohol played a role in the crash.
Before her death, Wear had told her daughter, “cremate me and spread my ashes at the Buc N Doe.”
As of Monday evening, the GoFundMe had collected more than $1,000 toward its $1,500 fundraising goal.
