Crime & Safety
OC Fire, Police Remind Teens to Make Good Choices Prom Week
SMCHS Students are Reminded to Make Good Choices Prom Week, Graduation with CHP's Every 15 Minutes Program & Mock DUI Crash
“NOWADAYS THERE IS NO EXCUSE TO DRINK AND DRIVE OR GET INTO A CAR WITH SOMEONE THAT HAS BEEN DRINKING.” SAYS FADD FOUNDER/OCFA CAPTAIN STEVE CONCIALDI
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(Rancho Santa Margarita, CA) – As Prom approaches this week for some Orange County teens, some parents anxiously worry about how exactly to “let go” — acknowledging we were once teens ourselves. Yet we still wonder whether we are taking every measured effort as a community to help keep our kids safe on Prom night.
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Enter OCFA Captain Steve Concialdi – founder of FADD (Friends Against Drinking and Driving) and the groundbreaking Mock DUI Crash presentation in Orange County.
OC FIRST RESPONDER AGENCIES, PUBLIC HEALTH EDUCATORS PARTNER TO BRING MOCK DUI CRASH TO HIGH SCHOOL TEENS ALL SPRING: REACH, NOT PREACH
In 1989, Concialdi was an OC teen actively pursuing his dream of becoming a full-time firefighter for the Orange County Fire Department. He graduated the year before from Mater Dei High School and drew praise for his senior project: a drinking and driving presentation where he showed actual photos of DUI traffic collisions and trauma photos from South County’s Mission Hospital.
He was bright, energetic, results-oriented and the perfect person to create and sustain what has become an unspoken institution in South Orange County: the Mock DUI Crash.
Concialdi consistently turns any attention away though and points to the decades-long multi-level collaborative effort by so many OC agencies, partners, volunteers and his family from FADD’s infancy in 1989, to FADD’s first Mock DUI Crash at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in 1991, to FADD’s 100th Mock DUI Crash at SMCHS in 2017 -- to today.
But to follow FADD and Concialdi and the incredible FADD team – you have to realize that he really is the Robert Schuller of OC’s Mock DUI Crash presentations. A visionary and independent spirit taking a risk as a teen to put himself out there and chase something he believed in – to now a veteran fire captain who has assembled and continues to push this critical program for our teens and communities for almost 30-years.
“The FADD Mock DUI Crashes are a reenactment of an actual crash that occurred right here in the Saddleback Valley in the late 1980s,” FADD (Friends Against Drinking and Driving)(www.fadd-ca.org/) Founder and OCFA Captain Steve Concialdi says. “In this accident, there were teenagers going to a formal dance, they were drinking, they only had a few miles to go and they got into a serious accident where three people were killed, five of them were seriously injured and the drunk driver was arrested. We have recreated that scene in these FADD Mock DUI Crashes. We did the first one at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in May of 1991.”
“Even if we only saved one life over the years, it’s worth it,” Concialdi said.
PARTNERING AGENCIES REMIND TEENS: MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICES
“Every day in America, 30 people die as a result of drunk driving crashes. That’s one person every 48 minutes, according to 2017 stats from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The CDC reports that high school students drive intoxicated about 2.4 million times each month, and underage drivers are 17% more likely to be involved in a fatal car crash with alcohol in their system,” says OCFA Captain PIO Tony Bommarito. “In order to prevent teen drunk driving, kids must be educated. This event is designed to teach students the dangers of drinking/texting and driving.”
The SMCHS Mock DUI Crash featured a simulated car crash with OCFA firefighters using the “Jaws of Life” to rescue a trapped victim. Patients were treated at the scene and law enforcement officers conducted a field sobriety test just feet away from SMCHS Eagles seated along Alas De Paz, Bommarito said.
Retired OCFA Fire Captain/Paramedic Craig Campbell addressed students about the sudden and tragic death of his daughter, Kaydee Campbell, who was killed by a drunk driver in Tustin in 2008, said Bommarito.
ORANGE COUNTY AGENCIES PARTNER TOGETHER TO SAVE LIVES
Concialdi was proud of everyone April 24th:
“SMCHS is very special to me,” Concialdi said following FADD’s 110th Mock DUI Crash. “We have two children who have attended SMCHS. FADD’s first Mock DUI Crash took place here in May 1991. Our 100th Mock DUI Crash took place at SMCHS in April 2017 -- and then of course today’s.”
Concialdi is keenly aware that these special milestones for FADD do not occur without the team. He also knows the emotional pain that guest speakers personally experience when they agree to come speak to the students during the program. For the SMCHS April 24th program that was (Ret.) Captain Campbell.
“I can’t even imagine how difficult it is for Craig Campbell to share his tragic story of his daughter Kaydee. But we all appreciate his speaking from the heart and sharing his family’s agonizing story of such personal pain and loss in the hopes of saving lives,” Concialdi said in earnest. “Watching Craig speak you can visibly see the pain he is in when he relives what happened to Kaydee. But you also see him become confident and strong when he speaks about his faith and how he truly wants these kids to know they can get through life’s hard times.”
Concialdi is grateful to Campbell for always being a part of the FADD Mock DUI Crash program. He honors Campbell’s personal mission to push aside his own pain and speak out in hopes of educating everyone in attendance about the choices people make and the lasting impacts they can have on others.
“Our hearts and prayers will always be with the Campbell family and Kaydee,” Concialdi said.
SMCHS is a 42-acre campus that opened in the fall of 1987 and is the first Catholic high school to serve South Orange County. Known as the Eagles, SMCHS is a coeducational college preparatory school located in RSM. They compete in the Trinity League, according to online research.
CHP’s EVERY 15-MINUTES PROGRAM REMINDS TEENS TO MAKE GOOD CHOICES
“Traffic collisions are the leading cause of death for teens. Every 15 Minutes is a two-day program that offers real-life experiences without the risks. This emotionally charged program is designed to educate south Orange County teens of the dangerous consequences of making poor choices,” said CHP Officer PIO Rafael Reynoso. Reynoso plays the arresting officer in the Mock DUI Crash. “It's a life-changing experience teens and their families will remember their entire lives. I’ve talked to people who participated in the program years ago and still attest to how powerful and life-changing it was.”
“The California Highway Patrol, Capistrano Area’s goal, along with our local allied agencies, is to keep the public safe and educated,” said CHP Officer PIO Rafael Reynoso. “We are very fortunate to serve a community (south Orange County) that is so receptive to our efforts!”
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‘SO WE ROLL IN’
The scene Wednesday morning April 24th on Alas De Paz at Antonio Parkway was one of excitement, anticipation and preparation. Soon the Mock DUI Crash would occur.
SMCHS juniors and seniors walked orderly from campus to the street to take their front row seats to all of the forthcoming action. They wore uniforms in a range of preppy styles featuring school colors of bright royal blue, white, dark grey, black and/or plaid.
They were polite, attentive and sat or stood cooperatively in pre-designated spots on the sidewalk. Large native trees provided them with welcome shade from the bright morning sun.
They sat silent, cross-legged and upright as the Mock DUI Crash unfolded just 30-feet away in front of them.
One of the key elements of the Mock DUI Crash is that it involves the students themselves: a core group of student actors who work with Concialdi and his team in preparation for the actual event. Their peers sit then as audience members watching as their friends re-enact a horrific fatal DUI traffic collision.
The audio portion of the presentation begins once students are seated. Onlookers hear music and a pre-made recording of the student actors making the decision to pre-party and drink — and then drive by caravan to the school dance.
Shortly thereafter, you hear the crash and then see the scene. Student actors and first responders are tasked next with carrying the baton to bring that notorious ‘87 fatal traffic collision back to life.
Large silver reflective tarps are removed to reveal the two vehicle’s involved in the crash.
On this day, one is a sliver sedan and its sustained heavy front-end damage. A young female student actor lays motionless face-down after flying through the windshield upon impact —a seat belt have saved her.
The second vehicle is completely overturned. Smoke emanates from its belly.
Student actors are mic’d, in makeup and wearing formal dance attire.
“Jason, we’ve got to get out of the car,” a female SMCHS student actor says in shock. She and Jason (the drunk driver) are in the silver sedan. San Clemente’s S & K Towing, Inc. provided both of the vehicles used as critical props for the Mock DUI Crash.
Jason’s brother sits in the backseat — he survives the crash but is trapped and time is of the essence to rescue him alive.
Student actors are in trauma makeup— or “moulage,” a French word meaning casting/moulding and is the art of applying mock injuries for the purposes of training emergency response and other medical and military personnel. The moulage was applied earlier in morning by a skilled team of nurses from Mission Hospital and Saddleback College’s Nursing Program.
“WE GOTTA GET OUT OF THE CAR!!!” the female actor continues.
The scene is a graphic and uses all five senses to help convey the message: sights of broken glass, smashed metal, billowing smoke; sounds of chaos and emergency response; smells of crashed vehicles; tastes of our own tears; and the touch of empathy for those in need of a hug or handshake.
Jason and the female actor emerge from the silver sedan. She’s young and wearing a formal Prom gown meant to be worn at a debutante ball. Not running through smashed glass, metal and blood of the horrific fatal DUI traffic collision she finds herself in. Her girlfriend dead and lying face down on the hood of the silver sedan.
Jason is a very popular SMCHS student known amongst his peers as “Big Red.” He is tall and athletic. His hair is red. He emerges from the sedan that he drives in the Mock DUI Crash. He is drunk. He is in shock. His friends are dead – because he made the choice to drink, and drive.
Jason and the female walk around the silver sedan to assess the situation: the female teen who is dead on the hood of the car – who was not wearing her seatbelt, and a young male teen trapped in the back seat. Jason’s brother: who is alive but needs extrication from the vehicle.
Jason and the female run to the overturned car. They see two more of their friends lying dead on the pavement.
Suddenly, more student actors — friends of the teens involved in the crash run onto the scene. They too are dressed formally for the traditional and historical promendade dance —or Prom.
“LOOK WHAT YOU DID!” the original female yells.
“I DIDN’T MEAN TO!!!” Big Red screams back.
The teens quickly act to call 911.
Another young female SMCHS student actor — with beautiful long shiny blonde hair and wearing a long-sleeve black floor length formal velvet dress, makes the lifesaving 911 call. She looks so polished, innocent and protected that seeing her in the middle of such a harsh scene is unsettling.
Prom night historically is the introduction of teens to young adulthood and society — delivering them to the gateway of their unlimited futures, not to a moment resulting from a series of bad choices by impulsive teens that promises to deliver life-long adult consequences.
“911 emergency,” a dispatcher says.
The young teen reports to 911 what has occurred and the dispatcher (another role played by a real emergency dispatcher) gives her instructions.
“Please hurry!” the young girl cries.
“Ok, listen, listen, take a deep breath,” the female dispatcher says in a calm, comforting tone. “Please try to keep everybody calm and do not move anybody.”
Music begins to softly play in the background as the dispatch operator is heard giving instructions to local first responder companies detailing the scene and call type.
Shortly thereafter, sirens (identified as either yelp, wail or manual in a frequency range 1-3 kHz) indicate help is on the way: fire, police and ambulance – along with flashing lights.
Upon firefighters arriving on scene, OCFA Firefighter/Paramedic ‘George Clooney’ Joel Maclean takes center stage as FADD’s longest running radio paramedic.
Concialdi says Maclean has earned the title of ‘George Clooney’ not only for his salt-and-pepper hair and looks, but for his skilled abilities during the Mock DUI Crash as an ‘actor’ to asses and adapt to any unplanned moments that the Mock DUI Crash always brings.
Maclean has been FADD’s radio paramedic for 26 years and brings a smooth – yet strong and calm presence to every presentation.
Concialdi and Maclean have the history and tandem magic working together from the sideline and field during a Mock DUI Crash analogous to the great Hall of Fame Coach/QB greats: Bill Walsh and Joe Montana, San Francisco 49ers (for the West Coast fans), Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, New England Patriots (for the East Coasters).
“Joel is just a salt of the earth good guy,” says Concialdi about Maclean.
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Maclean is in full mode on April 24th:
“Mission Base: ORCO Medic 45, how do you copy?” Maclean says.
“ORCO 45, this is Mission Base, Copy 10-2. Go ahead,” the acting radio-nurse (MICN) for Mission Hospital replies.
“Mission Base, we are onscene of a multi-vehicle roll-over collision right by the intersection of Antonio Parkway and Alas De Paz near Santa Margarita High School,” Maclean reports. “We have one vehicle rolled over. We have multiple patients ejected and one patient trapped. Right now it looks like at least six patients: two critical traumas. Wanted to find out how many traumas Mission can handled?”
“ORCO Medic 45: this is Mission,” the radio-nurse responds. “I understand you have two critical traumas, one mild trauma, and two teenagers that are dead. Start large bore iv’s on all the trauma patients, place them on backboards and c-spine.”
‘YOU’VE RUINED EVERYTHING’ ‘YOU’VE RUINED YOUR FUTURE’
Eventually, as the scene continues to unfold, a woman runs onto the pavement screaming.
She plays the role of the “Mom” in the Mock DUI Crash. She navigates the crash scene towards her son “Jason” whilst stepping over heavy equipment firefighters are using to extricate Jason’s brother from the back seat of the silver sedan.
Large diesel engines rumble as firefighters specially trained in search and rescue utilize the Jaws of Life to sear through the stubborn metal frame of th
“How could you do this???” Jason’s Mom asks. “Were you drinking? WERE YOU DRINKING???”
Jason responds slowly.
“…yeah, yeah…” he says.
Her following response resonates on a chilling level with all parents watching.
“Look what you’ve done…!!!” she cries. “You’ve ruined everything. You’ve ruined your future. Look what you did to your brother. How could you do this???”
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Jason ultimately submits to a field-sobriety test and is later arrested before taken to jail as the Mock DUI Crash continues to unfold.
A mock funeral for the deceased students completes the presentation — complete with mock obituaries written for the dead students by their parents.
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The microphone is handed to Concialdi after students read the obituaries.
It’s silent.
And then he speaks.
“Pretty powerful,” Concialdi says. “What you saw today actually occurred here in the Saddleback Valley a number of years ago.”
His voice is heavy with emotion. As a veteran firefighter he has personally seen so much in his day.
“In that accident…,” he continued. “…the guy driving only had a few miles to go, he thought he was fine, he only had a couple of drinks. Well, in this accident he killed three people and seriously injured three others. It was after a winter formal dance. He made a poor decision.”
Concialdi turns and points to all the agencies and individuals standing alongside him.
“We are out here today, all of us…” he emphasizes. “…so that this will never happen to any of you.”
“My name is Steve Concialdi. I am a Captain/Paramedic with the Orange County Fire Authority,” he says. “I’m also with an organization called FADD – Friends Against Drinking and Driving. We have been doing these for 28 years -- the very first one at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in 1991. All of us out here have seen too many of these accidents.”
“It’s not just the drinking and driving,” Concialdi continued. “It’s the street racing. It’s being distracted. It’s texting on your phone as you’re driving.”
“So if we can learn from somebody else’s mistakes, we never have to have a Mom come to a scene like this,” he implored. “We never have to have a Chaplain Pray for us. We never have to go to a memorial service.”
“So please,” he finished. “Remember what you saw today.”
Concialdi finished by thanking the following individuals and organizations without whom the success of the Mock DUI Crash could not be possible. Concialdi emphasizes the teamwork and incredible partnership by so many — from both the private and public sector, who continue to inspire him season after season with their dedication, efforts and sharing of resources for the cause.
To each of them — he is very grateful.
“Thank you to SMCHS Principal Mr. Raymond Dunne, President Andy Sulick, Activities Director Sammer Darwazeh, Chris Barry, OCFA, CHP, OCSD, Mission Hospital, Care Ambulance, O’Connor Mortuary, TIP Volunteers, S&K Towing, and a big round of applause for the student actors who did a great job,” Concialdi says.
“I want to thank the Mayor of RSM and your Dean Jerry Holloway and RSM Mayor Pro Tempore Brad McGirr for coming out too,” he said politely before handing the microphone to (Ret.) OCFA Captain Craig Campbell.
The audience gave its complete attention as the former fire captain walked to the middle of Alas De Paz and received the microphone from a brother, Captain Concialdi.
Campbell, dressed in a bright red short sleeve t-shirt, denim blue jeans, sneakers and sunglasses. He is the epitome of southern California in his casual style on a bright spring morning.
But his story is a painful one. His agony and grief palpable as he begins to address the SMCHS students, the Eagles, all who are on the brink of their futures. They are young, highly educated, diverse and savvy.
They are so close to beginning the rest of their lives….but on this day, what Campbell begins to share surely breaks the spell of any daydreaming, spring fever or senioritis.
Concialdi stands next to Campbell for moral support as well as to hold a wall size poster of Campbell’s beautiful family – and another, of his beloved and treasured little girl, Kaydee, which is carefully and respectfully held by an OCFA firefighter who took part in the Mock DUI Crash.
He begins. The air already heavy as soon as people begin to hear him speak: a voice broken over the loss of his little girl.
He has the microphone in his right hand. His left hand in his front left pocket. The watch on his left wrist just visible above the interior of his jean pocket.
“Good morning. My name is Craig Campbell. I am here to share my story with you. My story was 10 years ago. I can remember this past December on the anniversary driving by your school and thinking about my daughter Kaydee, and realizing 10 years later how bad it still hurts,” Campbell begins.
She is beautiful. Kaydee. Long blonde hair. Beautiful eyes and a beautiful smile. The look of kindness emanates from her photo. The one now on a poster held by the firefighter hoping to reach the teens who look back at her.
His voice breaks into a soft cry before regaining his composure and continuing to do what he must in order to help just one teen – hopefully more.
“I live right up the hill here in Santa Margarita. I moved here when the kids were young so they could all attend Catholic High School. I married my high school sweetheart. We have four kids that graduated from SMCHS. All of them very successful,” Campbell said. “I would do anything for this high school. Andy Sulick, Mr. Dunne, your Mayor. The school has been good to me. The Church has been good to me. It’s the only school that I continue to do because it is just so painful to relive ten years ago.”
He clears his throat -- and then begins.
“It was right before Christmas. We flew all of our kids’ home for Christmas break. Our son graduated from SMCHS and was on a baseball scholarship at San Diego State University. Kaydee was in Tennessee as a nursing student. And then the two other kids were here. My wife said: It’s just so nice to have all of the kids’ home. We are going to sleep so good tonight,” Campbell said.
Again, you could feel the emotions in the audience rising along with him as he continued to share what happened to Kaydee. Emotions heavy and raw. First in your chest and next in your throat.
“The kids asked if we would wait to put the Christmas tree and Christmas lights up until they got home from college. So that night we came to 5 p.m. Mass. We came home and then we put the Christmas tree lights up and we sang songs and had a great night,” Campbell continued. “I’m also a retired firefighter with OCFA, retired after 33 years. The night before we had been up. I went up to all my kids’ and said goodnight. I went up to Kaydee and gave her a hug goodnight and said, ‘I’ll see you in the morning.’”
“She said she would be going up to Pasadena with her boyfriend. She was going to stay up and make cookies for Mikey and drive them up to his house in Pasadena,” Campbell said. “It is one of those things you always hear ‘that you never know what is going to happen.’”
“I was a fireman for 33-years. All of the things these men and women up here have seen, and that I’ve seen, I never thought it was going to come into my life,” said Campbell.
“So I went up and went to bed. At about 1 or 1:30 a.m., there was a knock on my door,” Campbell said.
He stops. In the silence of the pause you audibly hear him take a deep breath.
With his voice now on the verge of crying -- he begins again. Trying so hard to maintain his composure. Even for a veteran fire captain who has seen so much. Even after so long.
His pain reverberates along Alas De Paz. In our shoulders. Throats. And there isn’t anything we can do to stop his pain.
But clearly, his focus is helping others not experience the pain that still walks in his shoes.
“…and…,” Campbell continues through his tears. “…I went downstairs – and we had left the Christmas tree lights on, and I came down the stairs and I could see there were two people at the front door. My youngest daughter had woken up. And I opened up the door. And my fire chief and Chaplain were at the door, and the chief was crying. I said, ‘Chief, what happened?’”
His voice reached a higher pitch as he began to cry.
“He said, ‘I’m so sorry, Kaydee was killed in a car accident tonight,’” he cried. “And I grabbed my chest and went back into the door.”
“I asked if Mikey was still alive,” Campbell continued. “And I heard my wife scream.”
As he continued he slowly began to regain his footing. He cleared his throat -- and began again.
“Kaydee was driving down the I-5 freeway with her boyfriend. There was an accident at the I-5 at Redhill. A little girl had been injured. Kaydee was a nursing student following in her Mom’s dreams of being an emergency room nurse and she stopped to help,” Campbell said. “We had a ride-along program at OCFA and she used to ride with us and just loved everything about helping people. And there was a little 15-year old girl that was injured and Kaydee was down tending to her.”
“A drunk driver was coming down the freeway after the accident had already happened,” Campbell continued. “At the last minute, he swerved into the side. And everyone jumped out of the way except for Kaydee.”
“I never got to talk to Kaydee again, but talking to the witnesses, that she looked up and laid over the little girl and was hit and was killed instantly,” Campbell said. “Subsequently a year later, the little girl showed up at our year vigil and decided that she was going to be a nurse in memory of Kaydee.”
“Up until I retired a couple of years ago – I was a fire captain at Station 58 in Ladera, I used to say, John 15:13 – No Greater Love Than to Lay Your Life Down for Someone Else,” Campbell said. “My Kaydee saved that little girl.”
“I can’t tell you how it rocked our world,” Campbell said. “Ten years later you can still see my emotions. Our lives were never the same.”
“It was really tough because she had come home from school, and for a couple of weeks, her suitcase was still in her bedroom,” Campbell said. “At night, all the kids would be crying in their rooms. My wife would be crying. I was trying to comfort everybody.”
“But I was grieving too. I just missed my daughter. It was just very difficult,” Campbell cried. “I was laying in bed one day, having what I call a bad Kaydee day. I was literally punching my pillow – I was just so angry. And my son Cody came in – he is a fireman today.”
“He asked, ‘What’s wrong?’ And I told him I was just so mad. I’m so mad at the guy who hit Kaydee,” Campbell continued to cry. “Just the Dad in me wanted to go down to the jail and confront him. I was just having really bad emotions. I just felt like I couldn’t protect my daughter that night.”
“Cody said something that resonated with me for the rest of my life: and this is for the firemen here, the cops, the parents here, teachers, everybody listening,” Campbell said. “He said, ‘Dad, have you ever driven buzzed before.’ And I thought about it. And I could remember a couple of times in college. And he said, ‘Dad, this could have happened to you.’ And it just sunk in the severity of drinking and driving.”
“Fast-forward three months later. We got a second knock at the door,” Campbell continued. “I was so paranoid, and it was a couple of our chief officers. And I jumped up and was trying to think where all of the kids were. I was panicking.”
“On Christmas Eve, we had gone to the arraignment, and the guy that hit Kaydee had been charged with vehicular home and we walked up to him and we told him that we were a Christian-Catholic family, that we forgave him,” Campbell said. “But that we wanted him to do whatever time was necessary. And he bailed out of jail on $1 million bail and he went home and killed himself.”
“It was tough, because I had father’s telling me, ‘I bet you feel relieved,’” Campbell recalled. “But there was no relief. Because I knew another family was going through what we went through. It wasn’t relief. I pray for him often. The grief that he had on his heart he just couldn’t live with himself.”
“So fast-forward. How do you get thru things like this?” Campbell said.
“I have always been a faithful person. And some of you won’t understand this, but thru Kaydee’s accident, I’ve learned deeper in my faith,” Campbell said. “I share things with people that I never would have shared things with before.”
“I’m a Believer in Christ and I’m a stronger Catholic as a friend,” Campbell continued. “On June 29th of the next year, we were driving to the beach to watch the sunset. We we were having a bad Kaydee day.”
“We were driving down the 133 Toll Road. It was very humid and monsoonal. A lot of clouds up in the sky,” Campbell said. “My wife said, ‘Craig, Craig, Craig, look up into the sky!’”
“Kaydee had a little tiny tattoo that said, ‘Faith.’ She also said her favorite word was Faith. She said that if she had kids, one name she would use would be Faith,” he said. “And there was a certain way she would write it.”
“I looked up in the clouds, and Doreen said, ‘What do you see?’” Campbell said. “I said, ‘It says Faith,’ and started crying. Just like she wrote it. And she started screaming. And we pulled over and just started crying. It was a pivotal point for me.”
“This is what I want to share with you guys: this is a great school that you have, I know not all of you are Christian, I will tell you that life is not easy, but there’s hope,” (Ret.) OCFA Capt. Craig Campbell said April 24, 2019 at the Mock DUI Crash. “Don’t lose your faith. Stay strong. This is what gets you through life.”
“This talk is very difficult for me to do. I do not look forward to it. I parked around the corner and had the stereo on because I didn’t want to hear the sirens,” said Campbell, now crying again. “It just brings me back to a time in my life that I try to forget.”
“But if one person here is off at college, or is at a party and see’s someone drinking and tries to get into a car and takes the keys, or a parent here that thought you’d be the cool parent if you let everybody drink at your house,” Campbell finished. “If I have touched one person here — then this has been worth it to me.”
“Thank you for listening to me. You guys at SMCHS are very truly blessed to be here. Thank you.”
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SMCHS President Andy Sulick spoke next. Sulick saw the first FADD Mock DUI Crash in 1991 at RSM.
“In 1991, I saw the first FADD Mock Crash,” Sulick began. “And then in 2005 I lived it. I was working at JSerra and Mr. Dunne was the Principal at Servite. Before our Prom in 2005, we had a student from Servite killed, a JSerra student who was going to be the ASB President for her senior year was killed, and three kids survived the crash. So this is a reality of what can happen.”
“The main reason Steve Concialdi came up with this concept years ago was to prevent this from being a reality,” Sulick said. “What’s so important and why we do this every two years, is because we want you to live a long and happy and prosperous and faith-filled life.”
“Prom is fun. So are all of the other dances we have,” said SMCHS President Andy Sulick to students. “But we also want you to live.”
“That’s what’s most important,” Sulick said. “And so this is done every two years. We carve out this amount of time because this matters — you matter, and the decision that you can make affects so many lives so quickly and it can change in an instant.”
“The driver of the car on that toll road in 2005 was just reaching down to get a piece of gum and took their hand off the wheel and then over-compensated and rolled the car four times,” Sulick said. “And when that happened, this was before the dance had happened – they were all sober.”
“So the other message today, is obviously we don’t want you drinking and driving or being high and driving at all, but also, you need to be very careful with texting as well,” Sulick said. “There are a lot of accidents that happen every day now from texting. So today’s message, and tomorrow at the assembly, take it all in, feel the pain.”
“I cry every time that I hear those sirens on this day, every time. And it’s been 14 years since that happened,” Sulick said. “And those kids when I see them, the ones that survived, they aren’t the same. You’re never the same when something like that happens. And the parents that have to live without their kids, you saw that with Mr. Campbell, and his daughter is a hero and was killed by a drunk driver.”
“So the message today is: we love you, we want you to live long prosperous lives, don’t let a mistake like looking down and getting a piece of gum, texting, driving high, driving intoxicated ruin your life or other people’s lives,” Sulick said.
“How much do we love Big Red? Big Red is a great kid. He’s supposed to go to the University of Chicago on a football scholarship,” Sulick continued. “If this was a reality – he would be going to jail. For a long time for killing three people. We do this because we do not want you to live this.”
“I’ve lived this and it’s awful,” Sulick said. “I had to go to the morgue. I had to go to Mission Hospital. I was the first person who had to call our principal and say we have a DOA, she died in transit from the toll road to Mission Hospital.”
“Mr. Dunne and I want you to live long prosperous lives making smart good decisions,” Sulick said. “Think about for the rest of the day what you’ve seen and how it’s impacted you.”
“When you drive home today, put your hands on the wheel at 10 and 2 and don’t look down at your phone,” SMCHS Principal Sulick said. “Let’s be safe so this does not have to happen.”
LINKS TO SANTA MARGARITA CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL APRIL 24TH 2019 (FADD) MOCK DUI CRASH – EVERY 15 MINUTES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwMSRXPf6FM
https://www.chp.ca.gov/programs-services/programs/youth-programs/every-15-minutes
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