Over 100 students, faculty, and other onlookers gathered around the quadrangle to watch a mock car crash performed by SADD and TKE on Oct. 27.
SADD successfully arranged for two totaled cars, which were donated, to be stationed on the quad as they replayed a realistic scene of a car crash involving drunk driving.
“A lot of crashes like this go on every day, and students don’t realize that the volunteers here have to witness it first hand, except when they do, it isn’t an act,” President of SADD, Charity Stout, said.
The scene included a boyfriend and a girlfriend along with their friends on a normal weekend evening. The girlfriend had been spending the night with her friends and was on her way back to campus after renting a movie. Her, boyfriend on the other hand, had been partying and was also on his way back to campus. The mere difference is that he wasn’t capable of driving as he had reached and gone beyond the legal blood alcohol limit.
The car crash involved loud sounds and realistic screams leaving crowds to understand that the two totaled cars were in fact the couple speaking in the tape. As onlookers waited silently, listening to traumatic cries, police quickly arrived at the scene. Following the Hamden police was the Hamden Fire Department with firefighters and EMT volunteers. There were police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances.
The scene was then carried on as any normal car accident would be. All volunteers were assessing the situation to see whether deaths were associated and to get the injured victims into ambulances as soon as possible. After the bodies had been safely removed from the cars and transported to their proper destinations, the boyfriend, was left with the consequences.
His girlfriend had died on impact, while the others all suffered serious injuries. Police officers began speaking to the crowd explaining that in this case, the drunk driver would be taken back to the station for questioning and testing, followed by appearing in court. Finally he’d serve time in jail for 15 to 25 years, if not more.
The legal BAC limit for Conn. is .08, and it is clear that students disregard this all too often. “This situation is very real. You kids don’t always realize how tough it is to go back to the station and make those phone calls to parents,” the Hamden police officer said.
Hamden is, in fact, a very strict community regarding drunk driving and DWI’s. It will continue to have occasional road block checks all over town. On a positive note, it can be concluded that there hasn’t been many deaths over the past couple of yeas involving drunk driving in Hamden, which police concluded “is a very, very good thing.” The biggest concern that this police officer seemed to have was to encourage “students to use and take full advantage of designated drivers and buses.”
The mock car crash was an effort to educate students about drunk driving. SADD organized the event as part of the National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week. Although it is important to consider the law and how crucial following it is, the bigger picture here is saving lives.
“Seeing what actually happens at the scene of an accident was a complete shock to me,” freshman Jory Osterman said. “We’ve always been told not to drink and drive, but this really had an effect on me.”
Osterman also expressed appreciation towards the Hamden police and fire departments for taking the time to volunteer for this event and helping to make a
difference.
