It’s the kind of lesson every parent hopes their kid will remember. Distracted and drunk driving claims thousands of lives each year. With prom season fast approaching, White County High School sought to remind its students of the dangers.
The high school partnered with local public safety agencies on Wednesday for a mock crash exercise. The scenario involved a head-on collision resulting in critical patients and a fatality. As part of the exercise, fire personnel extricated patients trapped in vehicles, and EMS workers assessed and treated ‘patients’ in the field before transporting them to hospitals.
AirLife paramedics airlifted one ‘patient’ from the scene.
The exercise gave students a chance to see the potentially grim results of bad choices on the road. It also gave them an opportunity to see local first responders in action.
“I believe it is important for the students to see this type of exercise. This makes them aware of the consequences of distracted driving or driving under the influence,” says White County Fire Services Battalion Chief Josh Taylor.
White County Public Information Officer Bryce Barrett says the mock exercise was “as close to real” as possible while keeping everyone safe.
“After all patients were transported to the hospital, members of the White County Fire Service shared stories of similar situations that happened right here in White County,” says Barrett.
The Georgia State Patrol and Air Life Georgia assisted the following agencies with Wednesday’s exercise:
White County Coroner’s Office
White County Fire Service
White County Emergency Medical Services
White County Emergency Management
White County E/911 Communications
White County High School
White County Sheriff’s Office
White County Warrior TV and Payne’s Wrecker Service of Cleveland also helped.
According to the most recently available national statistics, nearly 15,000 people died in the United States in 2020 due to distracted and drunk driving.
