08-04-2025
Mock crash at Mars Area High School shows the perils of driving under the influence ahead of prom season
The Mars Area High School's REACH Program teamed up with local emergency responders for a mock crash in the school auditorium parking lot as part of the "Prom Promise" campaign this week.
For a lot of students who witnessed the mock crash, they said it truly hit home.
The goal was to show students the life-altering and even deadly consequences of drinking and then getting behind the wheel of a car and onto a busy highway.
"I have two vehicles blocking the roadway, one ejection, two patients inside," the mock crash first responders' radio sounded during the event.
The voice of a 911 dispatcher, emergency sirens, flashing lights, and people screaming were all sights and sounds that one would expect to hear at a real emergency. While emotional, this was designed to resemble a real car crash in every aspect to demonstrate the serious consequences of driving under the influence.
"The message is for it to hit home," said Pennsylvania State Trooper Melinda Bondarenka. "Again, be the most realistic way to show them what can happen in a crash. It's unfortunate, yes, and some of the outcomes are not always good."
The scene was a grisly one as students covered in fake blood, suffering from serious injuries, acted out the aftermath of a head-on collision on prom night.
Dominic Spranza, a senior, portrayed the drunk driver who caused the crash. He was given a field sobriety test by an Adams Township police officer before being placed into handcuffs.
"What if something like that happens and I wake up and the person next to me isn't conscious," he said. "I just wouldn't want that to happen to my family."
Another student actor lay as though she had been partially ejected from the car with the upper half of her body on the hood of the car. Fire department personnel moved her from the car to a gurney before loading her into a waiting ambulance.
"I can't imagine my family getting a call, god forbid that I was in a crash, and I just wouldn't want that to happen to my family," said Ella Roach. "I will try to eliminate the distractions as much as possible and drive safely."
Students then moved into the auditorium for the KDKA-TV Ford Driving Skills For Life program. More than 500 junior and senior students, many of whom are new drivers, learned key driving skills to help keep them safe while on the roadway.
They were joined by a panel of experts who discussed the dangers of distracted and impaired driving, as well as the consequences that follow.
"Even if we affect just one student or a pocket of students, it's important for them to understand the potential consequences," said Shawn Babka of the REACH Program.
