24-04-2025
OHS students educated on drunk driving 'Ghost Out' simulation
OWENSBORO, Ky. (WEHT) — At Owensboro High School, Emergency agencies came together on Wednesday to remind students of the consequences of drunk driving. A Ghost Out program was held ahead of the school's prom on Friday.
Leaders say every 30 minutes someone dies from an alcohol related car crash. Statistics show approximately one-third of alcohol-related teen car crash deaths occur during prom season, or between April and June.
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With Owensboro High School's prom scheduled for April 25, what looked like a scene from a horror movie, was intended to make an impact.
The Ghost Out is designed to feel 'real'. First responders responded to the scene of a mock crash caused by impaired driving. Students, some playing victims, watched it all unfold.
'…from simple abrasions to actually cutting somebody out of the vehicle. The students can then see how they are treated…how they are transported,' says Adam Johnson, who's been leading the simulation for around a decade and is a former Owensboro Police Officer.
None of the students were notified beforehand. One by one, a dozen students were picked as 'suddenly passing away', before being staged as actors.
'The grim reaper came through and pulled me out of class. I was sent a text message of my obituary,' says Trevor Delacey, an OHS senior.
'The surprise that they were gone all of a sudden is exactly like it would be if it was in real life,' says Johnston.
Delacey later appears as the drunk driver. Emergency agencies and law enforcement spared no steps as Delacey was given a field sobriety test and put in handcuffs.
'it's a very impactful experience because in this instance, I was responsible for my fellow classmates,' says Delacey.
The grim reaper lurks in the parking lot as the Owensboro Fire Department, American Medical Response, and even Air Evac worked quickly to save lives.
As injured students are airlifted from the scene, students traveled to Owensboro Health Regional Hospital's trauma bay. They watched as, just like in the real aftermath, distraught family members got the news of their injured loved one.
'The full E.R. Staff also reenacts and acts just like this is a real deal. They see how the treatment goes, the process, all the hands on deck to see how intense it is,' says Johnston.
Officials say the last time the school hosted Ghost Out was in 2018. Johnston says a life saved makes it all worth it. 5 schools are chosen and rotated out each year, so by the time the cycle returns an entirely new student body is walking the halls.
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