South Florida man assisting motorist who ran out of gas fatally struck by car

LAUDERHILL, Fla. — A South Florida man who was trying to help a motorist who had run out of gas was fatally struck by a vehicle Wednesday night, authorities said.

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Erick Veilleux, 41, was struck by a white Honda traveling south on State Road 7 in Lauderhill, the Sun-Sentinel reported.

Veilleux had parked his car in a northbound lane of the highway shortly before 11 p.m. EDT, the Miami Herald reported. The impact of the crash sent Veilleux across the median and into his car, according to the Sun-Sentinel.

Veilleux was taken to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead, WTVJ reported.

The driver of the Honda remained at the scene, according to the television station.

Veilleux and his wife, Mercedez Williamson, had just celebrated their third wedding anniversary and moved into a new house, according to WTVJ. She said her husband’s act of kindness was a normal response.

“That was just his heart,” Williamson told the television station. ”He just goes beyond to help others.”

Veilleux’s father-in-law, Raymond Williamson, said his family is in a state of shock.

“Feels like I’m in a dream and keep wanting to wake up from it,” he told WTVJ. “Expect him to come home from work, walk in like he always does, ‘Hey, how you doing, old man?’ I’ll be waiting on that this evening.”

Police said Veilleux did not know the motorist he was helping.

“He was a real-life good Samaritan,” Major Mike Santiago, a spokesperson for the Lauderhill Police Department, told the Sun-Sentinel.

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