Short answer: Sean Carter’s brain injury was caused by a drunk-driving crash. On March 27, 2005, in Wichita Falls, Texas, Sean, then 22, rode home from a night of drinking in a pickup driven by a friend who was drunk. The driver lost control and the truck hit a tree, leaving Sean with a traumatic brain injury.
Last reviewed: November 13, 2026. Sources: Texas A&M AgriLife Watch UR BAC, KPRC Click2Houston, Quitman ISD.
If you are answering a driver-education quiz question that asks what caused Sean’s brain injury, the answer is that he rode as a passenger with a drunk driver, and the crash that followed injured his brain.
What happened on March 27, 2005
Sean was a college student in North Texas. After a night of drinking with friends, he got into a pickup truck driven by one of them. He has said he never checked whether the driver was sober. One account estimates the driver had about a dozen drinks in an hour.
The driver lost control in Wichita Falls, and the truck spun and crashed into a tree. Sean was in the passenger seat.
His injuries
- A traumatic brain injury (TBI), the most serious of his injuries
- Multiple broken bones and internal injuries, mostly on the right side of his body
- Emergency surgery and 22 units of blood during his hospital stay
- A coma, after which he could not walk or talk
Recovery
About 75 days after the crash, his mother, Jenny Carter, realized Sean could recognize letters. He relearned how to write, and months later he received a computer device with a synthesized voice. Today he types into an app that speaks for him, moves with a stand-up walker, and keeps working toward walking without it. He has spoken openly about depression during his recovery.
When Sean Speaks
Sean and his mother founded When Sean Speaks to warn others about impaired driving. They speak at high schools, churches and programs for DWI offenders, mostly in Texas. Their talks are supported by the Texas Department of Transportation and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension’s Watch UR BAC program. Sean’s message is that the mistake that changed his life was his own choice to ride with friends who had been drinking.
Lessons from Sean’s story
- Passengers are at risk too. Sean wasn’t driving. Getting into the car was the decision that mattered.
- Check that your designated driver is actually sober before you get in.
- Have a backup plan: a rideshare, a sober friend, a parent or a place to stay.
- Brain injuries are often permanent. Twenty years later, Sean still uses a device to speak.
Frequently asked questions
Was Sean driving?
No. Sean was a passenger. His friend, who had been drinking, was driving.
What kind of injury did Sean have?
A traumatic brain injury, along with broken bones and internal injuries.
Can Sean talk now?
He communicates by typing into an app or device that speaks for him.
