Houston We Have A Problem: The Wildest Tow Job You’ll Ever See

If you’ve driven I-75, the Southfield Freeway, or—God help us all—the Lodge, you’ve probably seen your fair share of “What in the hell is happening here?” moments. But this one? This Texas version of a Detroit freeway disaster is next-level absurd.

It all went down earlier this week in Houston, Texas, where a man’s old Saab broke down on a highway. Now, in a perfect world, you’d call a tow truck, wait a bit, and get your car safely hauled away. That’s not what happened here.

Instead, our highway hero decided he didn’t need a tow truck. He had a plan. A bold, terrible plan.

He pulled out a big metal chain, hooked it to his busted Saab, and had his girlfriend tow him down the highway with her SUV.

Yes, that’s already questionable. Towing with a chain is sketchy even in a Meijer parking lot. But on a major Houston highway? This is the kind of thing you’d expect to see on Woodward during Dream Cruise—after dark, after beers.

They didn’t hook the chain to the front of the Saab. Oh no. They hooked it to the back. And proceeded to tow the car backwards.

You read that right: BACKWARDS.

Now picture this: A Saab, in reverse, chained to an SUV, swerving wildly across lanes, being “driven” by a guy who was inside it the whole time trying to steer from the wrong end of the car. No power steering. No visibility. Just vibes and bad decisions.

Eyewitnesses say the girlfriend—who was doing the towing—was LAUGHING as she drove, possibly unaware that her boyfriend was literally fighting for his life behind her.

Then, physics and logic stepped in. The rear axle on the Saab snapped. Suddenly, the guy in the back had zero control. No steering. No brakes. Just a chain, a highway, and an SUV flying ahead like nothing’s wrong.

And believe it or not, police didn’t even ticket them for the tow stunt. But the boyfriend, 32-year-old Dontae Brown, did end up in cuffs—for something else entirely. Turns out, he had an outstanding warrant in Georgia, so they arrested him right there on the shoulder and took him to jail.

As for why they didn’t just call for a tow? According to the couple, they couldn’t afford one. So instead, they took a wild gamble—and now the car that broke down in the first place is even more busted. Maybe totaled. And Dontae is sitting in jail.

This whole story sounds like something out of a comedy sketch—or a YouTube fail compilation titled “Dumbest Tows of All Time.” But it really happened.

And while we’re not here to judge folks for trying to get by, let this be a friendly reminder: towing a car backwards with a chain should never be Plan A... B... or even Z.

So the next time you're stuck in traffic on I-96, and you see something sketchy unfolding in the next lane, just remember—it could always be worse.

You could be Dontae, getting dragged backwards down a highway while your girlfriend laughs and your axle gives up on life.

Stay safe out there, Detroit.