FORTVILLE — The emergency response agencies in Hancock County recently joined forces to hold a mock crash event to visually demonstrate the consequences of distracted driving or driving under the influence at Mt. Vernon High School.
Seals Ambulance joined with the McCordsville Volunteer Fire Department, Fortville Volunteer Fire Department, McCordsville Police Department, Fortville Police Department, Hancock County Sheriff’s Department, Hancock County Dispatch Center, St. Vincent Statflight and Seals Funeral Home to demonstrate to hundreds of juniors and seniors at Mount Vernon High School the reality of driving under the influence.
According to the National Highway Safety Administration, approximately 300 teens have died in alcohol-related traffic accidents during prom weekends over the past several years.
“We’ve been participating in what we call ‘Safe Prom’ for several years,” said McCordsville Volunteer Fire Department Public Information Officer Ray Hashley. “We put this scenario together every other year hoping to show the reality of driving under the influence with the juniors and seniors that are planning on going to Prom.”
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The consequences of distracted and drunk driving are real, said Seals Ambulance Vice President Tony Anteau.
“We take part the mock crash and other events like this in the hopes that when the students are faced with the dramatization of a serious car accident, they will avoid drinking and driving and the risks of serious injuries or death to themselves and their friends,” Anteau said.
The area departments set up a mock serious accident with students from the school role-playing as victims. First-responders arrived on the wrecked vehicles to walk through the actions they would take in a real car crash. In the staged situation, one student was dead on arrival; a critical patient was cut out of a car using special rescue equipment and taken out by helicopter; several students had minor injuries; and a drunk teenage driver was arrested by police.
“As the students return to the school they passed an open coffin,” Hashley said. “And although this is a mock scenario, we hope that they see the seriousness of the decisions they will be making regarding alcohol and drugs and decide that it’s just not worth the risk. These accidents truly are life-changing events.”
