Dee Davila-Estelle’s tragic loss of her children in a distracted driving crash fuels her advocacy with TxDOT to prevent further heartbreak.
DALLAS — All roads lead to somewhere, and that somewhere is often to a place of grief for Dee Davila-Estelle and her family. It’s been 10 years since a few seconds changed her life.
In one moment, she was leaving the Texas Motor Speedway with her husband, and three children, like they do every year as their family Christmas lights tradition. In the next moment, she began planning two funerals for her oldest children, Alex Trejo, 23, and Gabbi Estelle, 19.
A driver going 70 MPH hit their Ford Fusion from behind while the family was stopped at a red light. He was texting and driving.
“I remember my husband getting out of the car and my [youngest] son was behind him,” said Estelle. “I kept talking to my daughter because she was lying right there next to me. I kept nudging her.”
Gabbi, who was sitting in the back middle seat, and Alex, who was sitting directly behind his mother, on the passenger side, were pronounced dead on the scene.
“Was that phone more important than the lives you took?” said Estelle.
Estelle broke or cracked every rib in her body, and her husband broke his back. Their youngest son, Zac, was sitting behind his father. He survived the crash with just a few scrapes and bruises.
“It’s hard after all these years because my daughter was my best friend [and] I can’t talk to her anymore. My son was my champion. He took care of me,” she said. “We always think about what they would be doing today.”
Estelle grieves for her children and what could have been of their futures.
She is now taking her unimaginable loss to advocate against distracted driving by partnering with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)because she doesn’t want other families to go through this pain.
TxDOT defines distracted driving as anything that takes your eyes off the road, including changing a song, adjusting navigation, or eating.
In 2025, TxDOT data revealed that distracted driving alone caused more than 86,000 crashes that led to nearly 300 deaths and over 2,600 serious injuries. Distracted driving is the second most common cause of car crashes in the state.
“Distracted driving is 100% preventable,” TxDot Spokesperson Tila Grant added. “We suggest that if you know you are heading to meet someone, call them before you get in your car. Call and let them know you’re on the way. Put that phone on do not disturb and don’t let that distract you from the roads.”
April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. TxDOT’s “Talk. Text. Crash.” campaign will place additional signs and warnings on Texas roads throughout the month, urging drivers to stay off the roads.
And if these signs aren’t enough, Estelle said, let the pictures of her children be a reminder.
“All it takes is a few seconds. I mean, you’ve got to consider not only somebody else’s life but your own life,” said Estelle.
In Texas, anyone who is caught reading, writing or sending a text while driving faces a fine of up to $200.