June 19, 2013

This week's headlines

Mock accident drives home sobering lesson

c02_crash
Photo by Bob Borchardt
First responders and law enforcement staged a realistic mock accident at Cedaredge High School on Thursday, April 26, as a visual lesson of the dangers of drinking and driving.
Students from both the Cedaredge High School and Middle School  gathered outside as EMTs from the Delta County Ambulance District, Cedaredge Volunteer Firefighters, officers from the Cedaredge Police Department and the Colorado State Patrol all took part in a mock accident, rescue and extrication exercise.

Meant to be a "pre-prom" teaching moment, the exercise took place two days prior to the CHS Junior/Senior Prom night, just in time to alert the students to the dangers and potentially life-threatening consequences resulting from an automobile accident caused by a driver who was driving under the influence of alcohol.

In this case, the after-math of the mock accident included one death, several injuries and the arrest of a teenage driver.  The driver was charged with one count of vehicular homicide, and three counts of  vehicular assault.

According to Sergeant Scott Gardner (CSP) the purpose of the event was to send a "fresh message" to those students preparing to go out after  the prom.

Following the realistic reenactment, students gathered at their respective schools for an assembly to discuss and learn even more regarding all the ramifications stemming from drinking and driving and the long-term psychological and emotional effects suffered, not only by the families of the victims, but by the family of the driver as well.

According to Michelle Gillis, a mock funeral is scheduled to take place at the Hotchkiss High School on Wednesday, May 2, starting at 9:30 a.m.

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