Father Was Holding 1-Year-Old Son When They Were Fatally Hit by a Car While Crossing the Street
“This devastating loss has left her and her family heartbroken,” a friend wrote after a woman’s husband and toddler were hit by a car
A father and his 1-year-old son died after they were hit by a car while crossing the street in Jacksonville, Fla. on May 16
Mitchell Patch was an elementary school math teacher, whose students “will miss him tremendously,” the principal said
Patch’s wife and family are “heartbroken,” the wife’s employer wrote on a GoFundMe page
A mom is grieving after her husband and 1-year-old son were killed while crossing the street in Jacksonville, Fla.
Mitchell Patch, an elementary school math teacher, was walking across Baymeadows Road with his son, Everett, when they were hit by a Honda Civic traveling eastbound at 8:30 p.m. local time on Friday, May 16. Emergency responders pronounced the father and child dead at the scene, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. The driver of the car was taken to a local hospital and is cooperating with officials. Officer Max Morel confirmed the names of the father and son and told PEOPLE the investigation is ongoing.
“Our hearts are with the family and friends of the man and his child,” the sheriff’s office said in the statement.
Duval County Public Schools, Patch’s employer, and the City of Jacksonville Medical Examiner’s Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s requests for comment.
That evening, Patch attended a party at a restaurant. He was holding his toddler in his arms when he crossed the road, Morel confirmed.
“We were in the middle of a rush when it happened. Next thing you know, we just started seeing flashing lights. It started getting bigger. So we kind of figured something more intense happened,” Dylan Williams, manager at Wicked Barley Brewing Company, told local outlet WJXT.
“We had a large group of family members mourning,” he added. “It was very tragic.”
The fatal accident has renewed safety concerns for residents in the area, the outlet reported.
For Patch’s wife, Mary, it’s an “unimaginable” tragedy, her employer wrote in a GoFundMe created to cover funeral expenses. As of Wednesday, May 23, the page has raised more than $120,000, close to its $125,000 goal. The organizer did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
“This devastating loss has left her and her family heartbroken,” the employer wrote of the death of Mitchell and their son, who is identified as Everett.
Bayview Elementary, where Mitchell worked, sent a message to the school’s families from Principal Kelly York the day after the accident.
“We will all certainly remember Mr. Patch for his incredible commitment to students and to the teaching profession. He was a dedicated educator and a well-loved and respected member of our Brave family,“ York wrote in the message, which was shared with WJXT. ”Our sympathies go out to Mr. Patch’s family, friends and our entire school community during this difficult time.”
She added, “I am deeply saddened, and I know the students, staff and family members who knew Mr. Patch will miss him tremendously.”
Orphaned, hairless and afraid: Now this black bear is unrecognizable
Black bears are incredible creatures in their natural habitat — both powerful and majestic.
That’s why it’s so heartbreaking to witness them suffer, wasting away to the point of near starvation.
In December 2024, animal experts at Gold Country Wildlife Rescue (GCWR) in North Auburn, California, received word of a tragic case. Though they were no strangers to heartbreaking rescues, this one shook them to the core.
They found a young black bear struggling to survive alone in El Dorado County. The bear was suffering from dehydration, anemia, and a severe skin infection. He cowered in his crate, staring down at his oversized paws.
“It was heartbreaking to see a bear cub in such terrible condition,” GCWR marketing and outreach manager Chelsea Engberg told The Dodo.
The combination of being orphaned and severely malnourished likely triggered a chain reaction that caused his health to rapidly decline before rescuers stepped in.
Rescuers performed a detailed examination and developed a careful treatment plan for the struggling bear. The bear weighed just 20 pounds, so everyone knew his path to recovery would be tough. But they were determined to do everything possible to save him.
After several weeks of care, the cub’s once-bare face began showing signs of new fur growth.
“While it might not seem like a big change, the fact that we are starting to see fur fuzz grow on his face is an exciting next step in his healing journey,” GCWR shared in a Facebook update.
As time passed, hope grew stronger among the rescue team. The cub started to show his wild, playful nature, enjoying toys and enrichment items in his enclosure — from a kiddie pool to a firehose hammock. The team kept their distance to give him the best chance at returning to the wild.
By February, the transformation was remarkable — the cub looked like a completely new bear.
“We are always amazed by the wild animals in our care, and this bear cub is one of the most amazing recoveries we have seen,” Engberg shared.
In February 2025, when The Dodo covered the story, experts said they needed more time to decide the cub’s future. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife will ultimately determine whether he returns to the wild or stays in a protected sanctuary. Either way, everyone involved clearly has his best interests at heart.
For now, the cub remains in the care of GCWR, where staff are deeply moved by his incredible resilience.
“He was in such poor condition when he arrived that, in many ways, he didn’t even resemble a bear,” Engberg said. “The fact that he’s regrown so much of his fur and is remaining wild and not interested in humans is something that continues to make everyone at GCWR proud every day.”
Then, on May 13th, GCWR posted a touching update on their Facebook page, along with a new photo of the once-suffering bear who now looks almost unrecognizable.
According to them, CDFW decided that the cub will not be returned to the wild but transferred to a sanctuary.
🐻 For all those Black Bear Cub 24-3926 fans out there, can you believe this is how he’s looking now? Look at all those…
Posted by Gold Country Wildlife Rescue on Tuesday, May 13, 2025
“If you’ve not seen this cub before, he came to us late last year sick, and almost completely without fur. He’ll be receiving his final exam and vaccination regimen soon, so he’ll be all ready to head off to his forever sanctuary home when they are ready for him. Stay tuned for more updates as things happen,” they wrote.
Even though this poor bear had an incredibly rough start in life, he managed to turn things around with the help of the dedicated team at Gold Country Wildlife Rescue — and we couldn’t be happier about it!
“His journey highlights the value of collaborative care in wildlife rehabilitation,” says Dana Fasolette, Director of Animal Care at GCWR.