Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, May 6, 1994 TAG: 9405060091
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By MELISSA DeVAUGHN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PEARISBURG LENGTH: Medium
The crash was staged in front of the school as a reminder of the possible consequences of drinking and driving. None of the students arriving at school that morning were supposed to know about the wreck, but with the high school prom being held tonight, most of them quickly figured out it was meant to be a warning.
"I looked twice at it, then my granddad did and he thought it was real," said 13-year old Freedom Kelley after being dropped off at the school Thursday. "I had to convince him that it wasn't real."
Kelley said that although she knew the wreck was not real, she still thinks it is important to make students aware that driving drunk can result in death.
"I think it probably does send a message," she said. "At least maybe people will think about it before they drink."
Members of two school clubs, Students Against Drunk Driving and Spartans Making A Right Turn Together, have been working together since April to come up with ways to keep students from drinking and driving. During April, students participated in Prom Promise, a program sponsored by Nationwide Insurance in which students sign a contract promising not to drink of take drugs during prom night. Also a mock arrest was held at the school, giving students a taste of what it would be like to be arrested for driving under the influence. The mock car wreck was the culminating event.
Although staged wrecks like these are not uncommon to high schools trying to promote prom night safety, junior Donnie Woodyard and several of his friends felt they needed to do it again this year, only this time with more impact.
"Usually, we just get a wrecked car and put it in front of the school," Woodyard said. "This is the first time we've had the injured people and the rescue squads involved."
The scenario went something like this: three students, star defensive back Maurice Milton; Jennifer Rice and Rick Sparks, sneaked into the car once it arrived at the school and was placed in front of a telephone pole, where the "accident" was to have occurred. Sparks, 17, was the uninjured driver, and was pulled from the car, and given a sobriety test by Trooper Jeff Rose of the Virginia State Police. He was found to have a blood alcohol content well over the legal limit of .10. He was put into a squad car while his classmates looked on.
Rice, 16, was taken from the wrecked car and put into an ambulance, after suffering from fractures and lacerations. She also was paralyzed from the waist down. Milton, who was originally going to be airlifted from the scene by Lifeguard 10 until they received a real call, died en route to the hospital in this scenario.
Not only did Woodyard have the help of his classmates and club sponsors, but the entire community backed up the plan. The Virginia State Police, Pearisburg Town Police, Giles County Sheriff's Department, Giles County Lifesaving and Rescue Squad, Pearisburg Fire Department, vocational school nursing department, Lifeguard 10 and Giles Memorial Hospital volunteered their time to help in the simulated accident.
"I think it went well, but I wish more of the students would have come out [to the front lawn] to see the participation of all the people involved," said Pearisburg Town Police patrolman Rodney Freeman, who also is Deputy Lieutenant for the Giles Rescue Squad.
Freeman has helped with the mock wrecks at the school for several years and said "To be honest, I haven't seen much difference in student attitudesbut I have hope that somehow they will get the message."
Even though the students weren't snowed by the accident, Woodyard felt the event went over well. "Even if it doesn't make a major difference today, I think it will be in their minds and that's all we hoped for," he said.
"This is the first time we've ever tried anything of that magnitude," principal Steve Flint said. "It's a message that needs to be out there and we keep trying."
Throughout the day, Flint said teachers referred to the mock wreck in their classrooms. One tenth grade English class read about and discussed the dangers of drinking and driving, and in a physical education class one of the teachers capitalized the moment to talk about prom night safety.
"This is a student initiated event," Flint said. "That, and the local involvement make this a very important event here. This is a way of heightening awareness and I think if you do it a number of times the kids can't escape it and hopefully it will think make them think."
by CNB