Orchard Park High School creates car crash simulation before prom
'The message we want students to take from this is to make memories, and to make good memories, to make good decisions that go along with those memories, and realize that every single choice that they make in life can have consequences, good and bad,' said Chief Patrick Fitzgerald.
Though the demonstration is fake, the lessons learned are real.
'Don't drink and drive, don't commit these crimes,' said senior Juliana Place. 'Be careful, think before you act, understand that these are very heavy metal machines that can, and will kill you, if you are not careful.'
Nearly 35 people a day die in the country in drunk-driving crashes, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Thirty percent of drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 who died in car crashes in 2023 had a Blood Alcohol Content of .01 or higher.
The school has partnered with first responders for more than twenty years to hold this demonstration.
'It's super impactful, every year we get a good amount of kids that say they were really influenced by it in a good way,' said Amanda Mohler, a social worker at the school that planned the event. 'I feel like a lot of kids think they're invincible and they're untouchable at times, and it's important to know that there are consequences. Just because you think you're driving safe doesn't mean the next person behind you might be.'
Months go into planning the event. High school students created a storyline and a video of the events leading up to the crash, and then the consequences. This year they named the project an acronym of 'P.R.O.M.'
'Prom stands for 'Please Return on Monday, so with this idea in mind, our message is just really be responsible,' said senior Maddy Shurtliffe.
Hope Winter is a reporter and multimedia journalist who has been part of the News 4 team since 2021. See more of her work here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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