ARANSAS PASS, Texas — A 63-year-old veteran, left for dead along a roadway in Aransas County, has another shot at a life with helping hands from several in the community.
Aransas Pass resident and U.S. Navy Seabee veteran Doug Garrett, was run over by an unknown driver on April 2 on the Highway 35 bypass while he was riding a gas powered bicycle that he built himself.
He spent about a month in the hospital and then determined his wrecked bike had been stolen.
Besides his injuries, Garrett has had three surgeries for throat cancer.
"Three broke ribs, cracked sternum and then road rash on the arm, shoulder," he said.
Two local churches, one in Aransas Pass and one in Calallen reached out to help Garrett along with Mike Barnes, a Vietnam veteran who owns Green Volt E V Conversions.
"Whether it's a veteran or not, if somebody happens to need transportation, I'm going to jump in and help them," Barnes said. "But whether they're veteran or not, in this case it's a veteran, I'm a hundred percent on it."
While Barnes said he couldn't help Garret alone, the two churches pitched in to buy a battery for the new bike.
"He's a good guy," Barnes said. "He works for somebody in Aransas Pass and he has no way to get to work right now and this will help him a lot."
Garrett says the experience has renewed his faith in his fellow man.
"It gives you hope, you know? Because when you realize someone's left you for dead, you have a dim view on humanity," he said. "And all of a sudden you have people reaching out to you going, 'Hey, we can do this for you. And there's love. And that's what the community is all about."
Doug tells me he's been offered a job as long as he can travel to work and his new electric bike should be finished in a few days.