MERRILL, Mich. (AP) — Authorities say a Michigan man was fatally struck by a car while trying to remove his daughter's dead cat from a roadway before she saw it.

Saginaw County sheriff's officials say 50-year-old Andrew Rosas of Merrill was struck before sunrise Tuesday by a woman who was driving to work and apparently didn't see him. Investigators say Rosas was wearing dark clothing.

His wife, Jennifer, saw the crash. She tells WNEM-TV that her husband went into the roadway with a shovel to remove the cat and held up the shovel to try to get the driver's attention.

She says her husband had "a big heart" and would "help anybody."

The sheriff's office is investigating the crash, which occurred about 95 miles (153 kilometers) northwest of Detroit. The case will be reviewed by prosecutors.