Kyle Nackos was killed by a drunk driver 4 years ago. Now, his family is donating his beloved truck

WINDSOR, Colorado — The odometer on a red Ford Ranger has run north of 200,000 miles, and the scratches and dents across the back indicate some of the fun it's seen on Colorado dirt roads.

But now the truck is ready for its new life, bringing with it the memories of another life taken too soon.

"It happened Thanksgiving morning 2016," said Scott Nackos, the father of Kyle Nackos, who was killed by a drunk driver. "We try and pull our family together, be with each other and support each other and just help each other."

Kyle Nackos was 19 when the drunk driver hit and killed him while he was driving home in northern Colorado. 

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"I don’t think it’s ever going to go away. We’re always going to miss our son. We’re always going to wonder about all the things that we’re missing with him," " said Julie Nackos, Kyle's mother. "Kyle was definitely a people person. Didn’t matter their age, young, old, everything in between. He was a people person."

He also loved his truck. He’d been working to fix it up before the crash brought that to a halt.

Though Kyle Nackos  is no longer here with his family, the way he always helped others isn’t gone.

Kyle Nackos' truck is on its way to Burkina Faso in Africa, donated to a school so that students can have transportation. It leaves this weekend.

"A part of Kyle is going to be going over with this truck. That makes us happy. It brings us joy," said Scott Nackos. "Kyle’s memory will live on and that’s what he would want. He loved helping people and this is going to help a lot of people."

After more than a year of fixing it up and collecting donations of supplies to send over with it, a shipping container will soon make its way across the Atlantic Ocean.

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"We’ve had a lot of people help with tires, paint, clean up. Just a lot of helpers that have been phenomenal," said Scott Nackos. "It had a lot of issues. People have donated their time and labor, and it runs great now."

While Scott and Julie Nackos said this donation helps them heal, they also want to make sure that their most important message gets across. They hope no one drinks and drives so that no other family ever has to go through what they have dealt with.

"I think he would be excited that his truck is going over there," said Julie Nackos. "I think he is here with us today. I think he knows."

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