Despicable
A nonverbal man in Long Beach, California, showed how a driver had crashed into his ice cream cart at an intersection. Devastated, the man, who for obvious reasons couldn’t express his displeasure and anger, watched as the driver then took off, hitting his cart once again.
@pedrosicecream
My ice cream cart tricycle was damaged in a car accident on July 4th. (E. Shoreline Dr / Shoreline Village Dr) (5:32pm) My hand and said “stop” to the driver. The driver, Black woman driving a tan Mercedes-Benz, continued driving to try to hit my ice cream cart, struck or damaged my ice cream cart tricycle, causing me to lose. I have been unable to repair it that damaged and my ice cream cart has been out of operation. I have not been able to return to selling ice cream. I urgently need help raising funds to purchase a new cart tricycle to replace the one damaged in the accident and restart my ice cream business and continue supporting myself. Any donation, no matter the amount, would mean a lot and would help me get back to work. Thank you much for your heart, kindness, support, and generosity. Credit 📸: Pedro C. #paleta #icecream #longbeach #shorelinevillage #lbc
♬ original sound – Pedros Ice Cream
The clip was shared on TikTok by Pedro Castellanos-Aguilar, who runs the Pedro’s Ice Cream account online. He is a nonverbal ice cream vendor who drives around in his tricycle cart and often shares lighthearted interactions with his customers. The video attached above became his biggest one yet, garnering 1.4 million views, 121,200 likes, and close to 1,500 comments.
According to the California man, the car accident occurred at the intersection of E Shoreline Dr and Shoreline Village Dr in Long Beach. Pedro began recording a tan Mercedes-Benz SUV that had recently crashed into his cart right in the middle of the intersection.
Second Collision
Shocked, Pedro, who could only moan at the sad scene, walked around the car. As shown in the clip, the SUV had temporary paper plates, meaning that it had been recently purchased. A witness, meanwhile, attempted to speak with the female driver, to no avail.
As Pedro returned to his damaged cart, the SUV is shown backing up. Then, however, the driver started to move forward again, taking a left. As a result, the driver once again hit Pedro’s tricycle cart. She continued well past the initial contact, leaving a very visible scratch on the side of her SUV, then proceeded down the road, leaving the cart behind.
The video cut as the California man is seen walking toward the Mercedes-Benz. In the end, the whole ordeal left his ice cream cart completely inoperable, meaning that he is now unable to sell his ice cream, effectively losing his livelihood.
Social Media Reactions
The video sparked multiple responses online, with most viewers bashing the driver for hitting the man’s cart twice, asking him to take action against her. One commented, “Sue now.” Another one added, “Property damage. File a police report, then take it to the courthouse.”
Others were heartbroken that the incident ended up with Pedro’s cart being out of operation. One wrote, “I have known this vendor since we were kids. He also has a disability. He is the sweetest soul on earth.” Some praised the witness for trying to help Pedro. One said, “Shoutout to the young lady for trying to take up for you.”
Pedro is now asking for donations so he can get back to work as soon as possible. As support continues to pour in online, he hopes to replace his damaged cart and return to serving customers in his California community.
