Real lives, real losses of drunk driving
AUSTIN – Marcus Nalepa and his 8-year-old daughter Kelsey were on the way to her softball practice in League City when their lives changed forever.
Just feet from Kelsey’s elementary school, a drunk driver slammed into the family car at a stop light. Kelsey suffered brain injuries and died two days later.
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is sharing Kelsey’s story to remind Texans that every life on the road is a friend, a family member and a neighbor who deserves the same respect we would show them in person.
A family’s plea
“It’s not hard to make arrangements ahead of time,” said Nicole Nalepa, Kelsey’s mother. “There are so many other alternatives to help prevent a tragedy—like the one that happened to my family—from happening to yours.”
TxDOT put a sign near the site where Kelsey died that reads, “Please don't drink and drive. In honor of Kelsey Nalepa who was killed in 2017.” The family continues to plead with Texans not to drink and drive and hopes the sign can make a difference.
“If that sign saves one family, it is well worth it in my opinion,” Marcus Nalepa said.
Despite the risk, some drivers still choose to drink
Most people know that drunk driving is dangerous, yet there were more than 1,000 deaths in Texas from DUI/alcohol-related crashes in 2024. That means three Texans were lost every day because a driver ignored the risks.
“Making the choice to drive drunk instead of finding a sober ride home can and does lead to serious consequences,” TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams said. “No one wants to live the rest of their life knowing they caused the death of another person on the road, and no one is impervious to the dangers of driving impaired.”
TxDOT’s Drive Sober. No Regrets. campaign and the traveling Faces of Drunk Driving video exhibit will showcase first-person testimonials from drunk-driving offenders and survivors. These emotional stories demonstrate the real, tangible consequences associated with drunk driving and remind Texans that every choice on the road can impact friends, families and neighbors.
Increased law enforcement period
Timed with the official start of summer and the Fourth of July weekend, TxDOT’s Drive Sober. No Regrets. campaign is aligned with an increased law enforcement effort to keep Texas roads safe. From June 26 through July 13, officers will be on a heightened lookout for drunk drivers to reduce DUI crashes, injuries and fatalities across the state.
Drive Sober. No Regrets. is an important part of TxDOT’s Drive like a Texan: Kind. Courteous. Safe. initiative. Drive like a Texan is about embracing the pride, camaraderie and responsibility of being a Texan on the road. By making thoughtful choices, we can all help keep each other safe. Learn more at DriveLikeATexan.com.