Fans of Grey's Anatomy were shocked to experience another emotionally charged death of one of the show's lead characters, Derek Shepherd.

On the episode that aired Thursday night, called "How to Save a Life", no one could have guessed that they would be seeing Shepherd, also known as "McDreamy" for the last time.

After helping a group of teenagers who were involved in a car crash on his way to Washington D.C., Derek, played by actor Patrick Dempsey, returned to his car and reached for his phone, and just then, a truck drove in front of him. His untimely death leads to Meredith Grey, played by Ellen Pompeo, who is now a widow.

Following the death of Derek, Shonda Rhimes, the creator of Greys Anatomy released a statement to TV Line which explained her decision to kill the character. She stated that Derek is an important character and always will be for her, for the fans and for Meredith, and she never imagined saying goodbye to him.

She went on to say, "Patrick Dempsey's performance shaped Derek in a way that I know we both hope became a meaningful example -- happy, sad, romantic, painful and always true -- of what young women should demand from modern love".

She also discussed what would happen to Meredith now that she has been left without her husband and her best friend, Christina.

Rhimes said that Meredith and the remainder of the cast will be heading into a new chapter of their lives, which is as yet, uncharted territory. Greys Anatomy airs on Thursday at 8:00 pm via ABC.