Father’s brave final act before being hit and killed by out-of-control car while returning from family lunch with two daughters and infant grandchild
A California father is being remembered for his bravery in the moments before he was killed by an out-of-control car while returning from lunch with his family.
Adam Bouvet, 50, was in Dallas, Texas on October 25 visiting his eldest daughter and was excited to watch his school-aged grandson play football for the first time, when he and his family heard a car screeching nearby, ABC 7 reports.
Soon, a car hopped the curb and came straight at him, his wife, two daughters and infant grandchild – when Bouvet sprang into action to save his family.
‘In a second, I was knocked down only to get up and not see my husband,’ his wife, Tracy, recounted on Facebook.
‘I found him in front of the car that hit us,’ she said. ‘I do believe he took the hit to save us all.’
Adam Bouvet, 50, is being remembered for his bravery in the moments before he was killed by an out-of-control car while returning from lunch with his family
His daughters and grandchild came away unscathed, while his wife Tracy was left with only minor injuries.
But Bouvet sustained the brunt of the crash and suffered a traumatic brain injury, according to KTLA.
He was rushed to a local hospital for emergency surgery, but was pronounced dead three days later. The Mill restaurant in Old Town Murrieta, California – which he had co-owned for 17 years – announced his untimely death.
‘Adam has gone to our Lord and is now in Heaven,’ the pizzeria posted on Facebook October 28.
‘He will never be forgotten!!’
His wife, Tracy, wrote on Facebook that he likely pushed his family out of the way from an out-of-control car that had jumped the curb on October 25
The couple were in Dallas, Texas visiting his eldest daughter and to watch his grandson play his first football game
Many in the community expressed their shock and grief at the news.
‘You walk into The Mill and you just expect him to still be there,’ his longtime friend, Brad Neet, told KTLA.
‘There’s a huge hole in my heart,’ he said. ‘Not only in my heart, but also the community’s, his family and everyone that he knew and loved.’
Some customers have now left notes and flowers outside the restaurant, while other community members tied orange ribbons around trees.
The local elementary school also posted black and orange signs to show its support for the Bouvet family – using the colors of his favorite baseball team, the San Francisco Giants.
Bouvet had co-owned The Mill restaurant in Old Town Murrieta, California for 17 years
Loyal customers left bouquets of flowers and notes outside the restaurant following his death
Meanwhile, The Mill donated proceeds of its sales Friday and Saturday to help offset the cost of Bouvet’s untimely death.
At the same time, a friend set up an online fundraiser for the family. As of Sunday, it had already raised more than $145,000.
‘A lot of people don’t have such a big impact on a community as he has, and so to see this outpouring of love is pretty amazing,’ Neet said.
The Bouvet family is now in the process of bringing his remains back to California and are planning a funeral service.
In the meantime, Tracy is remembering her husband as ‘my hero, the love of my life, my best friend [and] the best husband.’
