ODESSA, Texas — A Texas woman who campaigned against drunk driving after her son was killed nearly four years ago in a crash died Tuesday in a rollover crash, authorities said.
Tera Crossland, 37, of Odessa, died after she lost control of her 2021 Dodge Challenger as she attempted to navigate a curve, the Texas Department of Public Safety said. The vehicle rolled at about 4:18 p.m. CDT, KMID reported.
Officials said Crossland was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, the Odessa American reported.
Tera Crossland, the Odessa woman who campaigned against drunk driving after losing her son in 2017, died in a rollover crash on Tuesday. #CBS7https://t.co/jPx02mgV0a pic.twitter.com/LmOWqHR1r1
— CBS7 (@CBS7News) September 16, 2021
Crossland campaigned against drunk driving after her son, 16-year-old Nate Silvas, was killed on Oct. 1, 2017, when a drunk driver crossed a median and crashed into the teen’s truck, KOSA reported.
“I hate the fact that he made a terrible decision to drink and then drive. But people cannot live with hate in their heart, and already having a broken heart, I just feel that hating him would not bring my son back,” Crossland told KOSA in an interview after her son’s death. “It wouldn’t change the situation whatsoever, so forgiving him and thanking God for the time that I did have is what gives me peace.”
Crossland started the N.A.T.E. Foundation (Need Advice Talk Experiences) to honor her son’s memory and to allow people to talk about the loss of a loved one, KMID reported. The organization works tirelessly to raise awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving.
She later asked officials at the Ector County Independent School District to display her son’s vehicle at Permian High School to show the devastation drunk driving can cause, according to KOSA.
“To see it up close and personal, I think they will definitely think twice about drinking and driving, if you begin to drink and you close your eyes and you see this truck, in your mind, I can almost guarantee you you’re not going to want to drive,” Crossland said in an interview.
The crash is still under investigation, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
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