A heartbroken father says he has an important message about driving drunk.

Kevin Keefer says his son, Nick, battled drug addiction, but what killed him was the decision to get into a car with a drunk driver.

He says Nick Keefer had been struggling with addiction and opioids since his last year of high school and was just getting his life back on track.

Nick Keefer died on May 25 while riding in the passenger seat of a Jeep Wrangler.  According to Stony Point police, the person driving was intoxicated.

The driver, 23-year-old Jarret June, of Colorado, was behind the wheel of the car that rolled around a sharp corner off of Beach Road in Stony Point. He currently has a long list of charges, including vehicular manslaughter and DWI.

“The bad judgment cost my son his life, and unfortunately, at a time when my son was just starting to look forward to living his life and doing great things,” says Keefer.

Keefer says he wants to offer some advice.

"Pay attention to your friends. If they're stupid drunk, don't let them get behind the wheel. And sure as hell don't get in the vehicle with them if they're not smart enough to hand over the keys,” he says.