Family of Texas Tech alum killed in hit-and-run mourns his loss, seeks answers

People knew Seth Rains as someone who wanted to help people, his mother, Cyndi Rains, said.

Seth, 23, was always ready to go do the next thing, his mother said. He had just moved to Austin to be closer to his best friends. On Saturday night, July 26, he visited Dallas to attend a concert with one of those friends.

He had gotten lunch with his parents earlier in the day, and before he left, he kissed his mom goodbye. “I said, ‘I love you. Be careful,’ like I always do. And he left,” Cyndi said.

While Seth was walking back to an apartment after the concert early Sunday morning, a car hit him near the intersection of Turtle Creek and Market Center boulevards, his aunt Rachel Lopez Doporto wrote in a GoFundMe post. The driver of the black sedan fled, police said.

Dallas police arrived at the scene about 2:40 a.m. on July 27, and Dallas Fire-Rescue medics transported Seth to a hospital, according to police.

Seth was pronounced dead about 2:50 a.m., according to the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office. Police are still searching for the hit-and-run driver.

Seth “never left a room without leaving smiles behind him,” his aunt wrote in a GoFundMe post.

His ex-girlfriend told Cyndi that he would give the shirt off of his back to a stranger, Cyndi said. He was at his new job for a month, but he had already made an impression on his coworkers.

Seth was a hard worker, his mother said. In his free time, he was cooking, running or working out. He made his bed every morning and liked everything to be planned out. He was organized, selfless, a helper, she said.

He graduated from Mansfield Summit High School in Arlington and then from Texas Tech University in 2024 with a degree in personal financial planning, according to his obituary. He had dreams to start a program for children to learn financial literacy.

He was a wonderful son, older brother, family member and friend, his aunt wrote. Growing up, Seth was part of many church groups and organizations and had many meaningful friendships in his fraternity at Texas Tech.

He had joined Beta Upsilon Chi, a Christian fraternity, while at Texas Tech, where he formed “lasting friendships and [deepened] his faith,” according to his obituary.

His mother’s most cherished memory of him is at his baptism, she said. It was a representation of something that had already taken place in his heart, but he was changed after that, she said. “He had been forgiven. His heart was just soft and humble.”

Seth was Cyndi’s cheerleader, she said, and since he had moved out on his own, they were getting closer. “We were doing more FaceTime calls, and he would call me on FaceTime when he was cooking his dinner.”

“He had a gift for holding on to the people who mattered,” Seth’s obituary states. His mom said that he liked everyone to get along. He was a peacemaker.

When Cyndi and her family were able to see Seth at the hospital after the crash, he had a peaceful look on his face, she said.

Cyndi said the look was encouraging. She couldn’t cry or speak when she saw him. She and her family came home in shock. “I don’t even think we slept. I think we just waited in bed, talking and crying.”

Cyndi said she’s experienced tragedy before. She has had a total of six miscarriages in her life. “I imagine he’s in heaven with his brothers and sisters that we lost,” she said.

Seth’s death was a tragedy for all of his family, Cyndi said. Her husband and brothers are angry, she said. Her brothers searched video footage to try to find the car and the driver.

“God was not surprised. He knew this was going to happen. We’re shocked,” Cyndi said.

She said that she and her family fall apart at any moment, but they have been overwhelmed by the love and support, especially from their church family.

Cyndi has been hearing stories of Seth that she didn’t know about, she said. The messages from his friends have been encouraging. She knows that angels were with him. “He was taken over into eternity. He is fine, he is good. He doesn’t have any pain.”

Cyndi hopes that people are changed by his death. She hopes it drives them to Christ.

“We just loved that young man so much, and he was loved. And we can certainly feel it,” she said.

This story was originally published July 31, 2025 at 6:46 PM.