July 20, 2012 (LifeSiteNews,com) – A young man praying the rosary while participating in the Crossroads Pro-Life walks across America was killed when struck by a car in Indiana early Friday morning.
Andrew Moore, 20, of California, was walking along U.S. 40 near Stilesville, Indiana at 5 a.m. when the incident occurred, according to IndyStar.com. Moore died at the scene.
IndyStar reported that the group was walking on the grassy median of the four lane divided highway and did not hear a vehicle approaching them from behind. Police consider the incident to have been an unfortunate accident and no charges have been laid.
Crossroads, founded in 1995, has expanded to seven walks in four countries: Canada, U.S., Spain and Ireland. This year, the initiative’s most successful by far, the group hosted four walks across the U.S., all culminating in Washington, D.C. The accident occurred in the Central Walk, which began in San Francisco.
LifeSiteNews.com was unable to speak with Crossroads president Jim Nolan as of early Friday afternoon. In a Facebook post Friday, Nolan asked for prayers for Moore and his family, and said the young student was praying the rosary at the moment he was struck.
“I feel rest assured that he is with our blessed mother Mary in heaven,” wrote Nolan.
Catholic blogger Mark Shea reported that he received a message from readers asking for prayers for “the repose of the soul of our oldest son, Andrew, who was hit by a car and killed early this morning while walking in the Crossroads Walk for Life.”
The note said that Moore, a student at Thomas Aquinas College in California, was taking part in the walk both to “further the cause” of pro-life and because he was discerning a vocation to the priesthood.
“If there is any cause he would have willingly died for, defending life is it,” the note concluded, as quoted by Shea.
On the Crossroads page featuring Andrew is quoted his remarks about undertaking the pro-life walk for life. He said:
I heard about Crossroads from Jason when he gave a talk at Thomas Aquinas College. I had already been involved in the pro-life movement for several years: when I am at home I pray in front of the local abortion mill almost every day, and try to speak to the people going in. Crossroads sounded like a good way to serve God and help His children. Having hardly ever left California and my sedate suburban life I was also interested in seeing the country, meeting new good people, and just doing something crazy! I have been considering a vocation to the priesthood for some time and Crossroads is a great way to work on my discernment: prayer, sacrifice, and separation from the distractions of the world.
Donations towards funeral arrangements for Moore can be made on the Crossroads website.