DALLAS - Texas troopers found a three car wreck around midnight, and out of the chaos and debris, a story of selflessness began to emerge.

When 20-year-old Zach Dean of Wills Point lost control of his SUV in the middle of the night in Kaufman County, one man stopped to help, 59-year-old Carl York.

But York never made it to Dean - the would-be Samaritan became victim. A truck carrying two trailers hit one of the stopped cars, which hit both men on the ground.

That second collision sent the 18 wheeler off the road. The violent impact linked three men and two North Texas families, now hoping for the best possible outcome.

Sadness has engulfed the Forney neighborhood where 59-year-old York is selling a house that belonged to his parents that he cared for until their deaths.

“It did not surprise me at all that he stopped to render help. It's just so sad hearing that people get struck down doing kindnesses for other people,” said Susy Denn, York’s neighbor.

His family said York, a soft-spoken mason, finds a creative outlet in painting canvasses and murals.

“I'm sure that God will pull him through this,” said Denn.

E-mail bhawkins@wfaa.com