Tow truck driver stopped to check on a car stranded in the middle of the road — what he heard next made him lunge and grab whatever he could reach
It only takes one person stepping in at the right moment to make a difference. Ice covered much of Highway 175 in Seagoville, and most drivers would have kept moving without a second thought. But tow truck driver Douglas Lane, 41, noticed a car stranded in the middle of the road during the winter storm. What he heard next made him lunge forward, grabbing whatever he could reach to help someone in immediate danger. A cry for help came from a nearby icy drainage culvert, and every second mattered. As reported by WFAA, the incident took place on January 27, 2026, and Lane’s quick response would soon earn him recognition across North Texas.
Lane heard the man desperately calling out for help. Realizing he was struggling to stay afloat in the freezing drainage culvert, Lane immediately called 911. “It was right there,” Lane expressed. “And I just reached in there, and I grabbed hold of whatever I could grab.” Seagoville police body camera footage showed Lane holding the man by the hood of his sweatshirt, keeping his head above the icy water. “He gave up fighting to stay above the water,” Lane said. “My instinct was to say, ‘Oh no, well, you’re not going to do this,’ and I reached in there.”
Despite the freezing temperatures, Lane remained calm and focused, holding on until officers arrived. “He’s about 130 pounds dry, but he felt like he was about 300–350 at least,” Lane commented on the man's weight and the intense struggle of holding on to him in the freezing cold as he waited for additional help to arrive.
Several officers arrived and formed a human chain to pull the man from the culvert. He was initially unresponsive, with a faint pulse and eyes rolled back, according to Interim Police Chief Steve Davis. Seeing signs of drug use, officers administered Narcan, an opioid reversal drug, which helped revive him, as per Fox 4 News. The man was treated for hypothermia and transported to a hospital ICU, where he remains in recovery. Authorities are unsure how he found himself in the culvert.
“He was at the right place at the right time for sure,” Davis commented. Lane admitted he was scared but stayed focused throughout the rescue. “I wasn’t trying to get any extra credit for it. I’m just doing what I know best, and that's helping others,” he said, crediting his grandmother for instilling such kindness. "My grandma is the one who taught me to always help strangers. Always help somebody in need, and that is what I went with. I just helped him."
Officers on the scene immediately recognized Lane’s heroism. “Good job, buddy,” one officer said, and Davis added, “On the scene, we’re just all congratulating him and thanking him for what he did. Doug’s actions, in my mind, saved this gentleman’s life.” Lane said he still relives the moment every time he passes the culvert, though he remains modest about the attention. The Seagoville Police Department plans to formally honor him at an upcoming city council meeting.