Orchard Park High School hosted its yearly simulation of a car crash on Friday morning to educate students about the risks of driving after prom while intoxicated.
“The message we want students to take from this is to make memories, and to make good memories, to make good decisions that go along with those memories, and realize that every single choice that they make in life can have consequences, good and bad,” said Chief Patrick Fitzgerald.
The lessons acquired are authentic, despite the phony demonstration.
“Don’t drink and drive, don’t commit these crimes,” said senior Juliana Place. “Be careful, think before you act, understand that these are very heavy metal machines that can, and will kill you, if you are not careful.”
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, drunk driving crashes claim the lives of around 35 individuals nationwide every day. In 2023, 30% of drivers aged 15 to 20 who lost their lives in auto accidents had a blood alcohol content of.01 or above.
For more than two decades, the school has held this demonstration in collaboration with first responders.
“It’s super impactful, every year we get a good amount of kids that say they were really influenced by it in a good way,” said Amanda Mohler, a social worker at the school that planned the event. “I feel like a lot of kids think they’re invincible and they’re untouchable at times, and it’s important to know that there are consequences. Just because you think you’re driving safe doesn’t mean the next person behind you might be.”
The event is planned over several months. Students in high school made a narrative and a film about what happened before the crash and what happened after. This year, the initiative was given the abbreviation “P.R.O.M.”
“Prom stands for ‘Please Return on Monday, so with this idea in mind, our message is just really be responsible,” said senior Maddy Shurtliffe.
