On Thursday, April 18, Project 180 brought back the mock accident event after a seven-year hiatus. This event brought together students and emergency personnel to depict the dangers of drunk driving.
The group simulated the aftermath of a drunk driving accident, complete with emergency personnel and a hearse.
“We think it was more meaningful to see it rather than just talk about it,” Project 180 adviser Steven Umentum said.
Students agree that it was meaningful.
“At points, it was very hard to watch, but it was an impactful experience,” junior Elizabeth Flok said.
A lot of hard work and thought went into planning the simulation. Project 180 members connected with local emergency personnel to pull this together.
“It took a lot of communication between each of the branches we needed there,” planning member Addison Schauske said. “And it also took a dedication to getting it done once we decided to do it. We didn’t know quite what we were doing going into it, so we learned a lot for future years.”
This event was a powerful, realistic way to show students to make responsible decisions.
“I was very emotionally impacted because something like that has happened in my own life and it really hit my heart,” junior Amolia Jefferson said.
The accident will leave a lasting impact.
“The mock accident will continue to stay in my mind in similar situations,” freshman Olivia Valenzuela said.
In the end, Project 180 hopes students will learn from what they saw.
“We hope that students will be safer drivers, make good choices, and understand that making small mistakes while driving can lead to larger consequences,” Umentum said. “Car accidents are the number one killer of teens.”
