Casey Hughes, 18, of Union High School took a sobriety test while one of her friends lay dead in a body bag not 100 feet from where she stood. EMTs loaded another of her friends into an ambulance after fitting a neck brace. After failing a breathalyzer, Hughes was arrested and taken off to jail.
Although it was very realistic, the crash scene was staged as part of the second day of the Every 15 Minutes program at Union High School, aimed at teaching students the consequences of drunk driving.
“I have a history of alcohol problems in my family,” said Hughes. “It’s great to get the word out there. There’s more to drinking than just having fun.”
The theatrics started Tuesday when random students didn’t show up for class, having died in DUI-related crashes. Their obituaries were read in class for effect.
To make the simulation more realistic, real firefighters, police and EMTs took part, going through their regular procedure after reaching a crash scene.
“First, we’ll extricate them, do all that, put them on the backboard, take a BAC test – a blood alcohol test – see what the blood alcohol content is,” said Greg Smith, an EMT with American Medical Response. “If they’re stable, take them to the hospital. We don’t do much for them – just monitor them.”
Smith, who has been an EMT for five years, said he encounters at least two crashes a month involving alcohol. He told the story of a friend who lost his job and possibly his house to figure out that drunk driving isn’t a wise decision.
After the mock DUI, students listened to Jill Spencer, the mother of Clackamas High School student Alexis Spencer who died in 2009 when the car she was riding in crashed into a telephone pole, killing her instantly. The driver was drunk. She shared her daughter’s story and warned students not to make the mistake.
“The horrible effects of that night will be with my family forever,” Spencer said to Union High School’s class of 2011. “Come graduation, just be safe.”
She and her family started a 501 (c)(3) called The Lexi Spencer Foundation. It helps students in North Clackamas and David Douglas school districts afford to participate in athletics programs.
For more information on the nationwide event, visit Every 15 Minutes‘ website.
