Mock car accident staged at Warrior Run to promote safety awareness

Rick Dandes, The Daily Item, Sunbury, Pa.
·2 min read

Apr. 25—TURBOTVILLE — Warrior Run 11th- and 12th-grade students witnessed a simulated fatal two-car crash Thursday afternoon in an exercise to promote safety awareness during prom season.

Passersby at Warrior Run Junior/Senior High School had reason to do a double take.

The event was planned to be realistic, with students acting as victims. Quentin Franck roleplayed a victim ejected from the car and was fatally injured. Meagan Rovenolt was an entrapped victim who needed to be air lifted by a Life Flight helicopter. Elle Bower was another victim. Adult Meagan Seymour portrayed a victim's mother.

Seymour "frantically" called 911, requesting help.

"Someone's trapped inside," she said. "And a person is on the ground and he isn't moving. I don't know CPR."

Watsontown Police Chief Chris Snyder arrived at the setup scene and administered CPR to the student roleplaying a victim. Warrior Run EMS and fire personnel quickly arrived as well.

Everyone performed as if the crash was real. When emergency personnel decided the female in the car was entrapped, jaws of life were used to cut out the car door and the roof entirely.

Medics took Rovenolt out of the car, checked her vitals, and put her on a stretcher. By this time, Life Flight had arrived and landed on a field near the school.

Observing it all was David Gehrum, of the fire department.

"If this saves even one life, it was all worth it," Gehrum said.

The mock car accident simulation was designed to educate students about the dangers of drinking and driving, "particularly as we approach this weekend's prom," said Superintendent Thor Edmiston.

High school co-Principal Andrea Landis said she hopes students make wise decisions regarding their celebrations of upcoming life events, including graduation

"I hope they develop an awareness of the repercussions of reckless driving, including the dangers of drinking and driving, about making safe choices behind the wheel," she said.

A very powerful enactment, added Casey Magargle, high school co-principal, called the production a very powerful enactment, praising the student actors.

"They did all the organizing and put together the timing," he said.

Edmiston said the district is working to create a safer environment for all school community members.