Good Samaritan Hit by Car While Rescuing Lizard on Road, Video Shows

In a brutal twist of fate, a guy trying to save a lizard from getting squished on the road ended up getting smashed by a car himself.

The shocking scene was caught on camera -- Luis Ricardo Coronel steps into the middle of Paraguay's Route PY04 to scoop up a teju guasu lying on its back -- but in a split second, he glances back, and BAM, a car comes flying straight into him at full speed.

The blue Toyota IST, driven by Mirtha Tereza Delgado , slams into him with such force that Coronel -- and the poor lizard -- are carried several meters before he crashes down onto the asphalt.

Coronel suffered serious injuries -- he was rushed to San Ignacio District Hospital before being transferred to the Trauma Hospital in Asunción for specialized care due to the severity of his condition.

He remains hospitalized, and it’s still unclear whether the driver is facing any charges.