Mason Nelson: Boy, 14, dies in tragic car crash by 'serial drunk driver' hours after his release on parole from DWI
GALVESTON, TEXAS: A 14-year-old Texas boy was killed in a crash that cops say was caused by a suspected drunk driver who has a lengthy rap sheet and was just released from prison on parole related to his latest DWI conviction. According to the Independent, Mason Nelson was riding in a Jeep with three other teens and an adult following a baseball practice in Galveston at 6 pm Friday, September 2, when 28-year-old Keith Brazier’s white Toyota SUV slammed into the vehicle.
According to detectives, Brazier was believed to have been intoxicated at the time of the accident. The high-speed collision at Avenue O and 41st Street killed the Ball High School freshman and critically injured two other passengers in the Jeep. Brazier, who survived, was arrested on a charge of murder and ordered jailed on a $500,000 bond.
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The crash was captured on neighborhood surveillance cameras. The death of the teenager has left the community in shock and a memorial to honor Mason continued to grow at the site of the crash. Galveston police said they suspect the 28-year-old ex-convict was drinking and driving. A passenger riding in Brazier’s SUV was also injured. Fox 26 reported that Brazier had racked up three previous DWI convictions in 2016, 2018, and 2021. Just a few hours before the deadly incident, he had been released from prison on parole stemming from his latest conviction.
A candlelight vigil was organized by Ball High’s student council on Tuesday, which described it as a "painful loss for all." “Our hearts mourn the passing of 14-year-old Ball High School student Mason Nelson – a loved and valued member of our district whose presence and meaning to our Ball High School family will never be replaced,” the statement by the Galveston Independent School District said. Mason was raised by a single parent, his father, who was described as his best friend by the family.
“I have learned so much about that kid since Friday night,” Reid Nelson, Mason’s grieving dad, told a crowd at the vigil, as ABC13 reported. “He was my best friend, but I had no idea just how awesome he was.” Diego Gutierrez, who was with Mason at the baseball practice hours before the crash, told the KHOU TV station that he was preparing to be on the junior baseball team. “I was at the volleyball game when it happened,” he said. “You never know when something’s going to happen, so always tell your family that you love them.” A parent at the memorial said “He was a really good kid. Full of spirit, full of life, and life took him in the blink of an eye.”