123/365 -Mock wreck - Warning potentially disturbing picture

Today our school hosted a mock crash to discourage texting while driving and drunk driving. The local towing company, police, fire and rescue, and I don't know who all came together with peer helpers at school to put on a very realistic and moving learning opportunity for our students.

The staff knew when it would start, but the kids (with the exception of the actors) were not informed that any of this was happening. An announcement came on saying that there was a learning opportunity happening near the ball diamond if teachers wanted to take their classes out. As we came out of the building, there were fire trucks coming down the street with sirens blaring, police cars with flashing lights at the scene and two cars demolished. When we got to the caution tape we noticed a body on the ground under one of the cars and injured students. It was very attention grabbing.

The event progressed like a real scene of a wreck. Police conducted a field sobriety test and arrest on the "driver" while fire and rescue used the jaws of life to free trapped and injured students. Medics covered "the body" with a white sheet then used back boards, neck braces and stretchers to get the freed and bloodied students into the ambulance. The coroner came and they put the student in a body bag, on a stretcher, and then into the van. The police continued to process the scene by searching the vehicles, taking photographs, etc. Then they drove away with the student in the back. To end the event, the owner of the towing company briefly spoke to the kids about what he sees everyday and how it affects everyone when something like this occurs. Then he encouraged them to not drink/text and drive. Later we found out that they used the actual vehicle a student from our rival school had died in. Many of our students knew him making this event more real.

I have to say that they did an excellent job. I knew it was staged and the students quickly figured it out. But seeing people you know and care about arrested, injured, or put in a body bag and hauled off provokes deep emotions. Hopefully, the students carry this with them.

I took this photo during the event and decided to make a "poster" of it because our school has been on a "Don't text and drive" campaign all year. Remember that it is a staged event photo. The person is not really dead. Sorry if you find it disturbing.

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PS. on a completely different (and lighter) note - Mom called today in a giddy mood. She just HAD to inform me about their new customer. He lives on my block and (you probably guessed it...) he is single . Dad actually told him "You live in the middle of the block, she lives at the end of the block, But watch out she's single." The guys response was supposedly, "hey so am I". Then Dad proceeded to tell the guy what kind of car I drive so he can wave when I go by! Mom confessed that her thought was " if they start dating she'll bring him over. Oh My! I have to get my house in order."-GGA, gotta love the parents. ;)