The Texas Department of Transportation is using the memory of a Texas Wesleyan football player as part of a new anti-drunk-driving campaign targeted at those going on spring break.
During spring break last year in Texas, 700 alcohol-related crashes resulted in 36 deaths and 63 serious injuries, and 51% of those involved young drivers (between 17 and 30), the Department of Transportation said in a release.
The department’s “Driver Sober. No Regrets” campaign lets the loved ones of people who lost their lives tell their stories about the impact of DUI-related crashes.
Charles Trammell III was killed in August 2022 at the age of 20, four days before his birthday, when a drunk driver crashed into him while he was helping friends change a tire on the Highway 287 ramp to Interstate 30 westbound near downtown Fort Worth. The impact caused him to fall off the 60-foot-high bridge.
His parents, Charles Jr. and Shenica, explained why they decided to join the campaign in video clips supplied by the Department of Transportation.
“Charles’ dream was to go to the NFL,” Charles Jr. said. “He also wanted to become a football coach. However, these dreams were short-lived due to a drunk driver. Charles was a great son. He was a brother to Serenity and Trinity, who thought the world of him. There’s not a day go by I don’t think about my son.”
“He didn’t get a chance to have kids or even get married, all because someone made a thoughtless choice to drink and drive,” Shenica said. “So there’s not a day that goes by that we don’t think about Charles III and how much we miss him and miss his presence. He had a huge personality. A big smile, just lovable, selfless young man who was everybody’s friend. Oh my God, he would brighten up any room he went into.
“… By sharing our sons, Charles III’s story, and participating in this campaign, we would like to stress the importance of never getting behind the wheel of a vehicle if you’ve been drinking. Charles III’s life was taken because someone made that choice to drink and drive. We don’t want another family to have to endure the pain and suffering that we’ve endured.”
This campaign is also part of the Department of Transportation’s “Drive like a Texan: Kind. Courteous. Safe” initiative, which advocates for Texans to drive more conscientiously.
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Lawrence Dow is a digital sports reporter from Philadelphia. He graduated with a master’s degree in journalism from USC. He’s passionate about movies and is always looking for a great book. He covers the Texas Rangers and other sports.