Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) and TKE held their annual mock car crash to promote awareness about the effects of drunk driving on Thursday, Oct. 28.
Over a hundred students lined the quad at noon to witness this very somber event.
After hearing a recorded scenario of a girlfriend speaking to her boyfriend then parting on the phone for the evening, the sound of the horrific crash echoed across the campus.
The boyfriend, who had been driving drunk, had “collided head-on” with the car carrying his girlfriend.
The crowd remained silent as a girl crawled out of one of the cars and “called 911.” Soon after, emergency vehicles began streaming onto the quad with lights flashing and sirens wailing.
Although a mock car crash, the crash was entirely realistic, right down to makeup, simulating injuries and emergency responders treating the victims.
For Angela Fachini, freshman spanish and elementary education major, this was her first time ever witnessing such an event.
“I thought that this was a really good eye-opener for students, as most do not understand or are able to see the effects of such an accident until after the damage has already been done,” Fachini said.
Caryn Crane, advisor of SADD, believes that the event does a lot for students on many different levels.
“This event is an important reminder that you are not invincible,” Crane said. “Many people believe that it cannot happen to them. They need to realize that they are not as immortal as they think they are.”
Stefanie Holley, sophomore english major, participated in the crash for SADD and played the deceased victim.
“Actually being put into the body bag and going in the hearse was really scary for me, even though I knew it was all fake,” Holley said.
“It was weird to be on the other side and involved in the actual accident,” Alyssa Wakelin, freshman nursing major and crash participant, said. “It was a harsh reality for me, since I work for an ambulance.”
Planning for the event is very extensive, as so many different agencies are involved to make it entirely realistic.
Audrey Foote, senior biology major and president of SADD, said the group had started planning the event in the spring of last year.
“It is a lot of work and takes in so many different people and agencies from not only on campus but in the community,” Foote said. “I hope that students realized the message we were trying to send.”
