On May 28, Central Kitsap High School hosted the annual “mock crash,” where seniors watched a re-enactment of a serious car accident and the events that follow. First responders and student actors worked together to recreate the moments after a drunk driving accident. This event usually takes place before prom and serves as a shocking visual on the reality of driving under the influence, along with spreading the importance of making good decisions.
“This message is just about safety and thinking about consequences before you do things, especially on fun nights like prom,” student actor Cameron Tipper said. “It’s so easy for things to turn dangerous or tragic, and I’m really glad we get to talk about that.”
Prom is a night that allows students to have fun and build good memories with peers. However, some students choose to drink at events like prom and often drive afterwards. This doesn’t only affect the person driving under the influence but could ruin the night of many others within the community.
“I think it’s really important to remember to be safe at prom,” student actor Kate Lawrence said. “With all the activities going on, it’s really important that we be mindful of our surroundings and what we are doing.”
The overall goal of the mock crash is to keep students safe and encourage good decision-making. Although it can be shocking and a disturbing visual to see, this event serves as a glimpse of the hard reality of drunk driving.
“I think this is an important message to our student body but more specifically our senior class,” student actor Peyton Hlavaty said. “It’s a really good message against drunk and distracted driving, and I think the reason it works so well is because it’s a scare tactic. I think the fear is what gets to them.”
Before the mock crash, seniors gathered in the Performing Arts Center to discuss end-of-year plans, along with what to expect when watching the reenactment.
After the presentation in the PAC, students gathered on the hill outside the Career and Technical Education building to watch the scene unfold. Over the speakers, an audio set the scene of the students deciding to drive after drinking at a party, which led into the sound of two cars colliding.
Tarps were then pulled off of the wrecked cars to reveal the scene that actors played out for the audience. Shortly after, a pre-recorded audio of a 911 call, created by one of the actors, played over the loudspeakers. This was then followed by the sirens of law enforcement and fire personnel as they arrived on the scene with their lights flashing.
The student actors portrayed fear and worry for their senior classmates in an attempt to show the severity that a situation like this has.
“I definitely think their real-life emotions and the trauma that the students [actors] were showing was very realistic,” audience member Jazmyn Budke said. “The screaming and yelling really portrayed a real-life traumatic situation.”
The actors tried to portray how it would feel to be in a situation like this, and while difficult, their attempts to strike a reaction from the audience were successful.
“It was definitely very emotional too,” Budke said. “Watching them walking around, yelling, or in distress.”
First responders hoped that letting students see how real the situation was would deter them from making this situation a reality. Responders also wanted to highlight that one bad decision could have a lasting impact on their community.
“The message I hope is sent today is that even though they are teenagers, drunk driving has adult effects, physically, mentally, and legally,” medical officer Jeff Wildes said. “[Drunk driving] doesn’t just affect them; it affects their friends, family, and everyone involved with them at school.”
Though targeted towards seniors, this event also serves as an evaluation for the first responders. The program supervisor of the Medical Examiner’s Office, Jeff Wallis, was present to observe how the first responders would handle the situation. Usually, his job during an accident is to gather as much information as possible to report back to the family.
“I’m here supervising like I would any car accident,” Wallis said. “We try to send as many investigators out to an accident as possible. There’s usually a lot of information to be gathered from the scene, so the more eyes can help gather information for family members.”
After the scene had ended, multiple people gave speeches sharing their connection with drunk driving accidents. They explained the importance of making good decisions and shared their experience dealing with the trauma that follows after. Ashley Bonus, a member of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, shared her experience coping with the loss of her sister, with the goal of helping students understand the effects that driving under the influence has.
“Hearing the woman’s testimony was really hard to hear,” audience member Jennaveve Hernandez said. “I have brothers, family, and so many people I care about, and to think that they pose this risk every day by being on the roads with people who drink is just hard.”
Once the mock crash concluded, Bonus gave a speech about the legacy her sister left behind, touching on how they keep her alive by sharing stories of her life.
“Stacy was an incredible woman,” Bonus said. “The best way to describe her was pure sunshine. She never had an ounce of negativity, and she really worked really hard to make a change in her area. That’s what hurts the most; she really would have done that if she had more time, but the impact she made in 28 years is incredible, and that’s why I share her story.”
