Injured Ice Cream Man Receives Money Raised By Local Students

Raevin Rossi and other students at Colonel Mitchell Page Middle School in La Quinta can’t get over the excitement of seeing their neighborhood ice cream man Pablo.

“Everybody missed him so much and we really, really wanted to know if he was OK and if he was going to come back,” Raevin said.

Last week, Pablo was hit by a truck while crossing Washington Street on Palm Royale.

He survived, escaping with only minor injuries to his head. But his ice cream cart did not.

Raevin and her friends decided to raise money to help Pablo, but they couldn’t find him.

Pablo saw the efforts made on News Channel 3 and called us.

“Me siento muy agradecido,” Pablo said. He said he feels very grateful that the community supported him.

He wanted to thank all his customers and let them know he is well.

He’ll get his stitches removed Monday and hopes to go back selling ice cream in a couple of weeks.

In the meantime, he’ll use the money to help pay hospital bills since he is out of work.

As far as the ice cream cart is concerned, his employer tells News Channel 3 that a cart can cost up to $1,500 and they’re working with the insurance companies.

But Raevin says the most important thing is that he’s okay.

“We don’t only want him for the ice cream, we want him for him too.”