We were less than a quarter mile from home when a drunk driver crashed into our car. My son, Garrett, was six years old, and my daughter, Kasey, was three. Both were properly restrained in their car seats. Kasey was sitting directly behind me, while Garrett sat in the rear passenger seat. The drunk driver, a repeat offender, hit us on the driver’s side. He was thrown 70 feet through the air, hit a church sign, and the sign broke and fell on top of him.
For me, before he hit us, time stopped. I heard and felt a voice telling me, “It’s going to be okay.” I immediately felt an indescribable sense of peace, and everything turned black.
When I came to, the first thing I heard was Garrett saying, “Mommy, Kasey’s dead.”
I had a concussion. My entire left arm was busted open down to the bone, and my left shoulder and hip were dislocated.
Garrett was physically unhurt, aside from small cuts from the flying glass, but he saw his best friend—his little sister—killed instantly, lying on his lap.
The drunk driver was later sentenced to 24 years in prison.
Garrett is now an adult. His life has been permanently altered by the loss of his sister. His battles are internal, and his story is his to tell.
For me, I’ve dedicated my life to sharing my testimony to educate others and advocate for change. I began my public speaking career with Victim Impact Panels of Tennessee.
I later restarted the Charleston, SC chapter of MADD, serving as Chapter Leader. There, I established victim impact panels and supported other victims in court, helping them write their victim impact statements and standing beside them. I spoke in schools, jails, military bases, and DJJ facilities. I also worked with Charleston County Juvenile Arbitration, speaking to teens who had made poor choices and encouraging them to make better ones in the future. In 2010, I was named the Charleston Police Department’s Volunteer of the Year.
After stepping down from MADD, I joined MADD’s founder, Candace Lightner, at We Save Lives. I have been part of her organization since 2017 and am honored to work with one of my personal heroes.
I will forever try my best to ensure my daughter’s life and my son’s trauma are not in vain.
On the anniversary of her death and on her birthdays, I encourage people to perform random acts of kindness—we call them Random Acts of Kasey.
Let’s all try to make the world a better place by being kind to others and making better choices—because these tragedies are not accidents. They are preventable.
Kelly, Kasey’s Mom