SUNDRE – Local high school students got an up close and personal look last week at the potential outcome of deciding to drive under the influence.
The annual Prevent Alcohol and Risk-related Trauma in Youth (P.A.R.T.Y.) program involved a realistically staged crash scene that visually drives home what in an instant can become the disastrous result of driving impaired, as well as further presentations inside the school.
The mock scenario involved a vehicle turned on its side with three young individuals: one who was trapped inside the vehicle and in urgent need of extrication, a deceased individual who was ejected from the vehicle and found lying on the ground nearby, as well as an adolescent drunk driver about to learn sobering lesson.
The carefully crafted scene of the crash near the high school was staged courtesy of some help from Water Valley General Contracting, which provided the vehicle and later returned to clean up the site, said Sundre Fire Department Chief Ross Clews.
“They support us 100 per cent on all our training,” said Clews.
Helping firefighters to carry out the mock exercise were members of the RCMP, EMS as well as participation of Chinook Arch Victim’s Services and several drama club students playing the roles of the patients and impaired motorist.
