“Scary,” “shifting” and “nerve-racking” had been the phrases Coral Shores Excessive Faculty sophomore Natalie Goodwin used as she left the college’s performing arts heart. Goodwin and classmates witnessed a practical demise notification onstage by a Monroe County deputy.
On April 23, legislation enforcement and emergency response companies enacted a mock crash at Coral Shores. College students noticed actual legislation enforcement officers at work. Emergency response autos surrounded the college utilizing lights and sirens. College students witnessed actual again boards, handcuffs and physique baggage. The tears, blood and victims weren’t actual, however the feelings had been.
The scholar physique crammed the auditorium. Some had heard they had been going to see a crash of some type, however had no thought what they had been about to see. In preparation, they had been informed they may exit to the foyer and that college counseling workers members had been within the foyer for anybody needing assist.
The stage opened with a highschool consuming celebration. There have been calls to folks. College students left the celebration to drive dwelling. Then a darkish auditorium was full of the sounds of sirens from emergency autos parked outdoors.
The subsequent scene was a demise notification realistically performed by Monroe County Sheriff’s Sgt. Patty O’Keefe. Then the curtain opened to indicate a crash scene involving autos on the stage. Islamorada Hearth Rescue personnel in full gear used chopping instruments to take away victims from autos.
The scenes moved on to a discipline sobriety check performed by Sheriff’s Deputy Andrew Leird and handcuffs positioned on the teenager driver performed by pupil Miranda Anderson. Then, on stage, the physique of a sufferer was transferred from the wreck to the gurney of a funeral dwelling and wheeled out by means of the aisle of the auditorium.
“The concept is ‘scared secure,’” stated Islamorada Hearth Rescue Chief Terry Abel. “It’s a Coral Shores Excessive Faculty and Islamorada Hearth Rescue manufacturing. We’ve finished it a number of instances over time, however not since earlier than COVID. It’s plenty of work to convey everybody collectively, but when one pupil makes the fitting determination due to what we did, it’s value it.”
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation officer Liam Rodriguez adopted with statistics and graphic photographs of sailing accidents proper off the Higher Keys. He stated the FWC has a coverage of zero tolerance of alcohol for anybody below the age of 21 in command of the operation of a ship. Rodriguez additionally clarified that there is no such thing as a such factor as a “physician’s excuse.” If a prescription drug diminishes your functionality, you might be impaired and shouldn’t be working a car of any type.
Then, retired Islamorada Hearth Capt. Walter Mason took the rostrum to explain his personal private tragedy attributable to dependancy.
The final speaker, Melissa Simmons, a prosecutor with the State’s Legal professional Workplace, went from the message of “scared secure” to “scared straight.” She stated the state blood-alcohol stage for DUI for anybody below 21 working a car of any type is .02. That’s a few sips. She emphasised that automobile accidents are the primary reason behind demise for teenagers and supplied programs of motion, from naming a delegated driver to calling a father or mother.
The State Legal professional’s Workplace in Monroe County prosecutes about 3,000 DUI instances a 12 months. DUI offenders below 21 undergo the grownup prosecution course of. A DUI on a driver’s file impacts every thing from insurance coverage charges to the power to get sure jobs.
“The mock crash scene and group audio system are a practical approach to share the hazards of driving impaired with our college students,” stated Laura Lietaert, Coral Shores principal, including that the college’s precedence is security. “We’re grateful to our group companions for his or her assist and involvement on this occasion.”
Among the many contributors and supporters of the mock crash had been Wheaton’s Service Middle and Towing, Allen-Beyer Funeral Residence, Florida Freeway Patrol, Islamorada Hearth Division, Monroe County State Legal professional’s Workplace, Monroe County Sheriff’s Workplace, FWC, Islamorada Hearth Rescue, Coral Shores Drama, Coral Shores Management, Coral Shores Cosmetology, Coral Shores Video Productions, Steerage Care Middle, and Wooden Campbell, the performing arts heart supervisor.