The arrival of a new year typically finds me setting goals, helping prepare a family dinner, and looking forward to watching some college bowl games. Unfortunately, the arrival of 2019 brought tragedy, too.  During the sauerkraut-and-pork roast feast, my wife Becky received a call from her cousin Amy and learned that Amy’s niece Liana Lecklitner (Becky’s cousin) had perished in an auto accident. It seems Liana had gone to a New Year’s Eve Party at a friend’s house. She wisely avoided any heavy drinking since she knew she would have to drive home, but she did stay up into the early morning hours. Despite being offered the chance to sleep at her friend’s house for awhile, Liana decided to head back to her apartment in Austin, Texas. Before reaching home, however, she apparently fell asleep at the wheel. Her new Nissan Rogue crashed and she died instantly around 7:30 am near Elgin.

I met Liana only once. In the spring of 2017, Becky and I joined her, her boyfriend, and her grandmother for a visit to the Bullock Texas State History Museum followed by a delicious BBQ dinner at a restaurant overlooking the hills of Austin. I found Liana to be good company. She had a pleasant personality and could talk intelligently on a variety of topics. As we said our good-byes, I hoped Becky and I might see her again someday.

I have since learned that Liana was a beach lover, a dog owner, an avid traveler, and a former member of her high school’s marching band. She graduated from Blinn College and had started a career as a radiologic technologist. According to her mother, Rosa, she wanted to be a forensic anthropologist and help determine how and when crime victims died. She was clearly a young woman who could have made a positive difference in our society.

As mentioned earlier, I hoped to see Liana again and perhaps I will in a world where tragedies like cancer and car accidents are unknown and where the sorrows that so often accompany earthly life are but distant memories. As for the problem of drowsy driving, it’s more common than we might think. The Center for Disease Control states that 1 driver in 25 reports having fallen asleep at the wheel at one time or another. Liana’s mother adds this heartfelt warning about the danger of drowsy driving: “If you’re tired, please don’t drive. Take a nap. Be late. Don’t have another family lose their angel.”