On a mission: Family turns tragedy into life-saving message

Aug. 21, 2024

By Lisa Tipton

ABILENE — A West Texas family is working with TxDOT to speak out about the importance of making responsible driving decisions — a point made tragically clear by their daughter’s crashed car, which the family recently donated to help them spread the message and save lives.

“The hardest part is that Aspen did everything right,” said Jen Blessing, referring to her 18-year-old daughter, whose life was cut short by a drunk driver in March. “She was not speeding. She was wearing her seatbelt. She wasn’t distracted. One man’s bad choice cost Aspen, our family and his family everything.”

Just one month following the tragedy, Blessing and her family reached out to TxDOT Traffic Safety Specialist Jill Christie to donate her daughter’s vehicle and to share Aspen’s tragic story to raise awareness about decision-making and prevent other families from suffering a similar tragedy.

Aspen’s trip to meet up with friends on the morning of March 10 was cut short when a 28-year-old man, who had a blood alcohol level more than three times the legal limit, drove into the westbound lanes of I-20 in Callahan County and struck Aspen’s vehicle head-on in a wrong-way crash.

The Blessing family spoke with Christie and TxDOT Traffic Safety Specialist Kristi Harwell about TxDOT’s mission to “End the Streak” of deaths on Texas roadways.

They agreed to partner with TxDOT to speak to audiences wherever the car is displayed to encourage responsible decisions when driving.

For Harwell, Aspen’s death hit especially close to home. The Blessings are long-time family friends. Aspen’s father and grandfather had even worked with her in-laws and her stepdaughter was Aspen’s close friend.

For a grieving family to make a commitment of working toward saving the lives of others only a short while after tragedy is a rarity, she said.

“Just weeks after their daughter’s death, the Blessings decided to get involved and make a difference,” Harwell said. “For a family to do something like this so quickly is almost unheard of.”

Only two months after the crash, Aspen’s mother and her siblings spoke at May High School during a TxDOT event on the dangers of drunk driving.

By sharing their testimony and Aspen’s story, the family hopes to encourage students and influence generations of drivers to make “one choice” — the right choice. Their message for the community is clear: never drink and drive, avoid distractions and anything else that gets in the way of driving safely.

“Let Aspen’s story and memory push you to embrace life, to make wise choices and to know that the way you live your life matters,” Blessing said. “Tomorrow isn’t promised so cherish those around you who love you.”

The Blessings, Harwell and Christie plan to use the automobile wreckage to reach as many people as possible, especially students.

“It’s overwhelming and will change a lot of lives,” Harwell said of the car and the stark illustration it gives on the consequences of drunk driving. “We want to get the message out there.”