BULVERDE, Texas — A Bulverde family is using their grief to spread a message when it comes to sharing the road with motorcyclists.
According to the Texas Department of Transportation, on average, one person dies in a motorcycle crash on the roads in Texas every day. Last year, nearly 600 riders lost their lives.
23-year-old Colton Blevins died in a motorcycle wreck on March 18 of this year off Highway 46 in Bulverde. The driver who hit him told investigators they did not see Blevins coming down the road when they were turning left. They were cited with failing to yield.
Months later and just shy of what would have been Colton’s 24th birthday, his family honored him with a sign from the Texas Department of Transportation.
Deanna Blevins is Colton’s sister. She said seeing the sign go up Thursday brought on a mix of emotions.
“It’s unfortunate but at the same time, God has his plans and his ways,” Deanna said.
Deanna said when Colton was killed, he was on his way home from work.
“He lived less than a mile from this location,” Deanna said.
His other sister, Michaella happen to be driving home around the same time and came across the crash scene.
“As I came up this hill, I saw a white spec in the road,” Michaella said.
She said she called her mom to check the garage to see if Colton’s bike was there. When it was not, she had a bad feeling the motorcycle involved was her brother’s.
According to the traffic report, Colton was wearing a helmet. The family added, it was not dark out yet when the crash happened.
“That look twice factor could have saved his life, that one second,” Deanna said.
According to TxDOT, there have been five crashes involving motorcyclists along the highway in Bulverde since last year. Two of them were deadly, including Colton’s.
“People get oh he was driving reckless oh he was doing something, he wasn’t,” Deanna said. “He was heading home, not speeding. Wearing all the appropriate equipment.”
Deanna said she hopes when people see the sign, they go home and look up Colton’s story to learn more about what they can do to protect themselves and motorcyclists on the road.
“I want to spread that awareness, and this sign is a huge way to do that,” Deanna said.
TxDOT currently has a campaign called, Share the Road. They list tips like looking twice when changing lanes and paying extra close attention at intersections. For a full list of tips, click here.