SAN ANTONIO – Every day for the past 25 years, at least one person — a mother, father, son or daughter — has died in a traffic crash in Texas.
The sobering statistic prompted the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to launch its “End the Streak” campaign to reduce roadway deaths.
One of those victims was Whitney Presas Wedell, a nurse and educator who died Feb. 8, 2024, after a head-on crash on Potranco Road that Bexar County deputies said involved an intoxicated driver.
KSAT’s RJ Marquez spoke with Whitney’s mother, Monique Presas, who has been raising awareness about the campaign and keeping her daughter’s memory alive.
“I have a hole in my heart now that she’s not here. She has gone too soon, and she didn’t need to leave the way she did,” Monique Presas said.
Monique said talking about her daughter’s death is never easy, but she does it because of the strength and spirit Whitney showed every day of her life. “She was a traveler, a nurse. She was a teacher, an educator, and she loved life,” Monique said.
“They tried to save her, but her injuries were just too severe,” Monique said of the crash. “Ever since then, you’re just not the same person anymore. I miss her dearly.”
Monique has joined TxDOT’s “End the Streak” campaign to raise awareness about impaired and distracted driving.
“I want to do it just to share about her life and how unnecessary it was that she’s not here. The punishment doesn’t fit the crime. It’s too lenient,” she said. “I think Whitney would be proud of me and would expect me to be strong. I want to share her story so that, hopefully, this doesn’t keep happening.”
During the interview, Monique shared details about Whitney’s life and work. Whitney attended East Central High School and began teaching nursing in their CNA program. She taught professional nursing at the University of the Incarnate Word and was later hired by IDEA School Systems to write its first nursing curriculum, Monique said.
TxDOT reported that 4,160 people died in Texas traffic crashes in 2024. That total included 772 pedestrians and 381 deaths in distracted-driving crashes.
TxDOT also said one in four people killed in traffic crashes in 2024 died in crashes where a driver was under the influence of alcohol. There were 171 traffic deaths in the city of San Antonio that year, the state agency said.
TxDOT urges drivers to help prevent crashes by obeying speed limits, buckling up, getting a sober ride, avoiding distractions and moving over or slowing down for vehicles with flashing lights on the roadside. For more information on the End The Streak campaign, visit DriveLikeATexan.com.