High school students perform a mock accident | News

Corry Area High School’s Safeline and Global Media students are hosting a simulated crash assembly for students in grades 10-12 on Wednesday. With big events like prom and graduation coming up, this assembly is intended to raise awareness about drunk and distracted driving sharpen. The students go to the front of the school building to watch a performance by their classmates.

The demonstration shows the aftermath of an accident between students who collided in two separate vehicles. One vehicle will have a drunk driver and passengers while the other vehicle will have a distracted driver and passengers. There will be first responders on scene, including an ambulance, police, firefighters and possibly a helicopter.

Before the meeting, a video filmed and edited by the students in Global Media will be shown. Students will see this video as part of the morning announcements during prom week. It provides statistics about drunk and distracted driving to educate students about the harmful effects of these actions.

The Rossbacher Insurance Group has teamed up with the school district and is supporting the project financially.

Junior Safeline member Luke Hurd spoke about the importance of this type of awareness among high school students and the negative impact peer pressure can have.

“I think this gathering is essential and I hope it starts a tradition that we do every year,” Hurd said. “It’s very important to be aware of the dangers of drunk and distracted driving, especially as a high school student because everyone is so concerned about their peers’ approval and being excluded.”

“Adolescents and young adults are most influenced by their peers, so it is important for everyone to know that they are making their own decisions and that they could be putting others at risk,” Hurd continued. “People our age also need these kinds of gatherings because they give them insight into what can happen if they are not careful. This assembly will provide students with information that can prevent themselves and their friends from making decisions they will regret.”

Junior Alexis Heiser, also a Safeline member, said the assembly took a lot of effort, but she felt it was worth it to share this important information with her fellow students.

“The mock crash is a great way to educate our students and raise their awareness about drunk/distracted driving,” she said. “We put a lot of work into it to really have an emotional impact on students. This is specifically for prom but can be applied anytime, anywhere. We want our students to be aware of the extreme consequences of drunk driving.”