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Tri-Village Mock Crash
Not an
accident… it was a decision
By Bob Robinson
Macie screamed; her date, Kaleb Chowning, called 911 to report the
crash. It was 9:35 a.m. The two returned to the accident. When she saw
a beer can lying on the ground, Macie picked it up and threw it at the
driver, who was walking back and forth, dazed…
“What have you done?” she yelled at him.
Macie Simons is a Tri-Village High School student. A young man in
critical condition, Clayton Murphy, also a T-V high school student, was
later pronounced “dead.” The “impaired driver” was Matthew Warner…
The event was a Mock Crash conducted on the high school grounds
Thursday morning.
The students were participating in a semi-annual event at the high
school. Its purpose was to alert students to the dangers of impaired
driving.
“It seemed so real,” Macie said. “The blood. The crash… Taylor is my
best friend. It was really emotional to see her like that.”
Kaleb said it was heartbreaking.
“To imagine that happening is real scary,” he added. “It made me
realize how much of a problem this really is.”
The “driver” was given a sobriety test at the scene and led away while
the emergency crews worked. Liberty Township Fire Department,
Hollansburg EMS, New Madison Rescue, New Madison police, CareFlight,
Storch Braund Funeral Home; all were participating in the event. Later,
at the “funeral” conducted in the high school gymnasium, Matthew was
put in handcuffs.
“This was too real,” he said. “Too scary. I felt like it actually
happened.”
From the time of the 911 call, Tri-Village spectators watched emergency
crews at work. A second victim was removed from Clayton’s vehicle. Two
other victims were removed from Matthew’s vehicle. The students were
Taylor Dill, Lizzi Miller and Sara Burns.
CareFlight was brought in for one victim while another was placed in an
ambulance for transport to the hospital. The event from start to finish
took about 30 minutes.
Teresa Conyers, Trauma Outreach Coordinator for Miami Valley Hospital,
said this was not an accident.
“Someone made a decision,” she said.
She told everyone watching to stop and think about how long it took to
rescue these victims.
“They are hurting, in pain. Then stop to think about the long term
effects… the severity of the injuries… the jail time.”
Later, Conyers said that seven out of 10 high school students have
consumed alcohol this year; adding that one of the leading causes of
accidents is distracted driving.
Accidents that involve alcohol, drugs and speeding are responsible for
over half of the fatalities on the road, she said.
She added that using seat belts also has an impact; noting that a 30
m.p.h. crash with no seat belt is like falling head first from a
3-story building.
A mother who lost her son to an impaired driver in 2009 talked to the
students during the “funeral.” Her son, Joey, was 18 years old, said
Laura Seger. The person who killed him was high on “huffing.” She was
released on an OR (own recognizance) bond.
“She died two months later of an overdose.”
Tri-Village High School wanted to thank the first responders, Hurds
Towing, Noah Welbaum and Mrs. Pinckett’s STEM class for their efforts
in making the educational event happen.
Reprinted courtesy
of The Early Bird
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