Trooper Donald Oeschslin checks on other student actors in the car, with students grade nine thru 12 observing the scene of the mock crash on Wednesday at Candor Central High School. (Photo by Jacob Elsbree)
Candor Central High School students gathered around a staged car crash on Wednesday afternoon while emergency responders worked to recover the student and faculty actors – all to learn about the consequences of driving under the influence.
Candor Central’s Students Against Destructive Decisions and CASA-Trinity organized the event. SADD has been planning and organizing this event since January. CASA-Trinity assisted; but as Prevention Specialist at CASA-Trinity, Stephanie Ferraro stated, “SADD took the lead.”
After a brief assembly, students in grades nine thru 12 made their way from the auditorium to the parking lot to find a two-vehicle crash that involved student and faculty actors splashed with fake blood, and some playing dead. Students had a front-row seat as they watched emergency responders reenact what they would do in a real-life situation.
Firefighters remove the roof of the car in order to access the actors who are pretending to be injured inside the car on Wednesday at Candor Central High School. (Photo by Jacob Elsbree)
SADD decided on focusing the demonstration on the effects of impaired driving as a result of marijuana use. The student acting as the driver “smoked” before getting behind the wheel and going to prom, causing the crash that the students would observe.
Police were the first to show. With a microphone on his collar, Trooper Donald Oechslin conducted an impairment test and arrested the student driver.
At the same time, firefighters and EMS freed the passengers inside, the Guthrie Air helicopter landed on the football field to airlift a student acting injured, and the coroner made their way to the scene. All responders donated their time and equipment for the demonstration.
CASA-Trinity peer recovery specialists shared their stories involving substance abuse with the students observing the scene, speaking about the dangers of experimenting with drugs and alcohol and getting behind the wheel.
“CASA-Trinity and SADD wanted to encourage students to make good decisions and stay safe during celebrations,” Principal Wayne Aman said.
Trooper Donald Oeschslin checks an actor lying on the hood of a car at the Candor Central High School mock crash held on Wednesday to teach students the effects of driving under the influence. (Photo by Jacob Elsbree)
After the demonstration, Trooper Oechslin, along with faculty, talked with the students on the perception of inevitability in youth. They spoke about marijuana use as well as other drugs, drunk, texting and drowsy driving.
According to Aman, this was Candor Central’s first mock accident in decades. He hopes that what the students observed will stick with them through the celebrations of prom and graduation in the coming weeks
The work done by the students and community members exceeded principal Aman’s expectations, and he hopes to make improvements to the event to have a larger impact in the future.
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