Last week, in Riverside, California, a freeway driver and her passenger noticed something unusual. They cruised east and suddenly clocked a small animal on the westbound side. It was a kitten, stranded on the opposing road. The pair decided to exit and turn around, reentering the highway heading westbound. Once they relocated the baby animal, though, their attempt to save it ended up causing a near-catastrophic chain of events.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the driver “on a mission” moved at about 30 mph in the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane. Upon spotting the kitten, she slammed on her brakes and pulled over as close to the center divider as possible. However, the left shoulder was quite narrow.

The male passenger then exited the car, took off his shirt, and picked up the cat.

Unfortunately, that’s where things went awry.

Another driver behind the stopped vehicle swerved toward the center divider to avoid the “rescue” vehicle. That driver nearly hit the male holding the kitten, who jumped the median and let go of the feline.

The swerving car then turned away from the divider, striking another vehicle’s front end and crossing all lanes before colliding with a semi-truck.

Reports show that while one person was injured, the overall effects of the wreck were “minor” compared to the possibilities. Even the kitten survived the ordeal.

A California Highway Patrol rep says the driver and her passenger, both in their 20s, are under investigation regarding “non-emergency stopping” and “impeding traffic,” the Los Angeles Times reported.

Of course, the lesson here is that while it can be quite rewarding to rescue animals stuck on busy roads, drivers shouldn’t act in ways that endanger themselves or others. The driver and her passenger would have been better off calling emergency services and moving on than allegedly causing a multi-car accident.