Prom Promise shows Washington Co. students dangers of distracted driving
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) – First responders gave students from David Crockett and Daniel Boone High Schools an up-close look at the consequences of drinking and driving.
“We see it every day, but this actually brings it kind of in your face to the senior class or what actually the consequence of this is,” Brandon Archer, the deputy chief of Washington Co./Johnson City EMS, told News Channel 11.
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The Prom Promise event was held at the Appalachian Fairgrounds Tuesday. Dozens of high school seniors were shown a staged crash complete with actors and vehicles.
In addition to highlighting the dangers of driving under the influence, the demonstration also depicted what could happen to drivers who attempt to text while on the road.
“It’s extremely important,” Archer said. “Just brings awareness to if you’re drinking and driving and texting and driving, any type of distractions shows the ill effect of that and what can actually happen.”
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The demonstration Tuesday depicted a 2-car accident. The staged crash resulted in a fatality, serious injury and arrest. First responders used a helicopter to airlift the “injured” actor from the scene.
“The injuries here today that you’ll see… I mean, they’re pretty gruesome, but they’re fake,” Archer said. “But it can turn real very quickly if they’re on the roadway, choosing to do these things.”
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The Prom Promise shows a jarring scene, but Archer said it’s critical to make an impact on teenagers who may not grasp what could occur if they drive distracted or under the influence.
“They kind of have an ‘I’m invincible. It’s not going to happen to me attitude’ sometimes,” he said. “It’s it’s kind of showing that this is possible and this is what happens and this is how it could end up.”
Archer stressed that while his department and others would hope teenagers would refrain from drinking, having a safe plan for getting home without a drunk driver is paramount.
“We want [them] to have fun. We want [them] to be safe. So that’s that’s the number one thing. I mean, everybody that’s going to be here today is going to be our future.”
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