‘Eye-opening’ deadly crash simulation held ahead of high-school prom
POCONO SUMMIT, MONROE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU)— Prom season is around the corner for local students and one school district is raising awareness of the dangers that surround it.
28/22 News Reporter Sydney Kostus spoke with students and EMS about the “eye-opening” reenactment about distracted driving.
You can feel the excitement of students getting ready for prom, but with it still one week away at Pocono Mountain West High School these students are all dressed up to shine a light on distracted driving.
“Next week everyone’s going to be driving home from prom [and] to prom, and I know pictures will be taken in the car. People are going to look away and just looking away for that one second could really cause a tragedy,” said Regan Carlson with the Students Against Destructive Decisions.
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Friday is the school’s annual “Mock Crash” where the Students Against Destructive Decisions group puts together a reenactment of a deadly crash for all students.
“We started last May, we picked a date and since then we’ve been planning, we’ve been writing the scripts, picking the actors, and getting all of the community involved,” said Ryder Bray with Students Against Destructive Decisions
The event portrays injured and deceased student actors with multiple agencies including EMS and fire, the coroner, and the district attorney responding.
“It really becomes a great opportunity for us to show the students, not only what could happen in an accident, but also what we get to do as a career,” added Aj Schrader, chief operating officer of Pocono Mountain Regional EMS.
Seeing their classmates as victims in the crash, this group of students hope the message resonates with those watching.
“Trying to show the reality of what could happen, if a crash like this happens, laying on the ground deceased. You see one of your friends laying on the ground, and you’re like, ‘Oh, this could really happen,’” explained Brandon Stiehler, senior at Pocono Mountain West High School.
“Especially with teenagers, a lot of them driving, you see so many accidents happening, especially on the highways or on these curvy roads with deer and you don’t see them, or these horrible winters. Paying attention is really important,” added Mia Ariola, a senior at Pocono Mountain West High School.
In 2022, more than 3300 people were killed in crashes involving distracted driving. These students trying to make a difference.
“I hope that we change someone’s mind and make them realize it’s not that important and just make sure we maybe save one student’s life,” said Zero Carreras, a senior Pocono Mountain West High School, told 28/22 News.
The Pocono Mountain West High School is also hosting its annual safety carnival in a few of weeks. That’s where students can fully engage with first responders about their roles in an emergency and learn more about safe driving.
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