(WHAS11) - There was a twist at a Dare graduation in Elizabethtown.
More than 20 years later, one son surprised his mother who survived the Carrollton, Kentucky bus crash.
It’s a story of survival, love and hope.
Trevin Cox is a young man who turned a Dare graduation ceremony into a sober reminder, never to drink and drive.
He saved his winning speech as a surprise, even to his own mother who survived the Carrollton bus crash.
The young students may never fully understand how important the graduation is for classmate, Trevin Cox.
Out of roughly 125 Dare program graduates at G.C. Burkhead Elementary School in
Elizabethtown.
Not only is Trevin an essay winner, he's the only one who talked about how drunk driving caused a tragedy that changed his family forever.
"I'll be sharing this story to tell you how drinking and driving can destroy lives," said Trevin during his speech.
Trevin lost his grandfather to the horrific 1988 bus crash in Carrollton, Kentucky.
He never got to meet him.
His mother, Christy Cox, survived the crash but suffered burns to nearly 60% of her body.
"Sometimes my mom gets some strange looks from people. Every time this happens, I wonder why a man would have to drink a beer while driving to crash into a bus to ruin lives and his own. It just doesn't make sense," he said.
That fateful day, a pickup truck went the wrong way and the drunk driver smashed into the school bus returning from a church trip to Kings Island.
In all, the crash killed 24 children and three adults.
More than 20 years later, Christy watched her son who pledged never to drink and drive.
"I pledge to make wise decisions about using alcohol. I will never abuse this and I will never drink while driving," said Trevin.
Trevin and his mother talked to WHAS11 News after the Dare graduation saying their family's tragedy transformed into a heartfelt message to help stop drunk driving.
"I was just really proud that he spoke from his heart. I didn't even know he was writing about that. So, I knew he had an essay to write and he just said I'll surprise you at the end," said Christy Cox.
Governor Steve Beshear's highway safety program ‘Over the Limit, Under Arrest’ started Wednesday and runs through January 3rd.
