Fermi Seniors Get A Sense Of The Perils Of Drunk And Distracted Driving

A pair of blood-covered Fermi High School students lay prone on the ground Friday morning, with mangled wrecks of two vehicles nearby. An Enfield police officer raced to the victims on his motorcycle and called for the fire department and an ambulance.

Moments later, firefighters arrived with extrication tools, and several EMTs began assisting the officer in treating the victims. Shortly thereafter, the Lifestar helicopter landed on the grounds to transport a critically-injured patient.

Fortunately, the "injured" students, Ferrin Beck and Dylan Mazzarella, were just playing the roles of victims as the school demonstrated the reality of drunk and distracted driving to members of the senior class.

With the senior prom scheduled for Friday evening in South Windsor, demonstration organizers wanted to drive home the perils of getting behind the wheel in an altered or distracted state.

School resource officer Eric Hoover said the simulated scene involved two vehicles colliding head-on at 65 miles per hour.

Following the demonstration, the seniors were debriefed by the Lifestar crew and other safety officials in the auditorium.