Mock Crash 2012 Sends a Message

students were made aware of the dangers of alcohol and drugs at the biennial Mock Crash held Thursday, May 17, in the school’s parking lot. It was conducted the day before prom.

The event was made possible by the high school's chapter of Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD). The Mock Crash is done every other year to prevent students from making careless decisions on prom night. 

While only juniors and seniors actually saw the crash, it's designed to occur every other year so every grade level has an opportunity to experience it. Freshman and sophomores watch a video on traumatic vehicle accidents. 

With the help of the , , Emergency Services and STAT Med-E-Vac, the event ran smoothly and definitely sent a message to kids about the effects of alcohol and drugs. 

Volunteers in the crash, which was set to be a three-car pile-up due to a combination of alcohol and texting, included seniors Meghan Fitzgerald; Mitch Stowers; Eleni Coleman; Justin Miler; Allie Schlafman; Jessica Graham; John Hlavinka; junior Austin Chappell; and teachers Kristen Caponi and Caitlin Degnan. 

Both Fitzgerald and Degnan were pronounced "dead" by Washington County Deputy Coroner Tim Kegel and were (bravely) zipped up in body bags. 

The cars were graciously donated and the fire department broke windows in two of the cars, and cut the doors off in order to get to the "victims." 

Following the crash, those involved spoke on stage about how truly frightening the experience was. 

Police Chief Harry Freucht, a Med-E-Vac personnel, representatives from and Deputy Coroner Tim Kegel all spoke to the student body—comprised of juniors and seniors. 

Next, two teachers—Joe Maize and Milt Barney—spoke about their personal experiences with driving and alcohol, which were very touching to the student body, who really respected these perspectives. 

Finally, the assembly ended with testimonials of the effects of drug use and alcoholism from three patients. 

The number of intoxicated individuals at prom appeared to be very low, and the event proved to be a success. 

Click through the gallery above. To see more photos, visit the fire department's Facebook page by clicking here.