Early High School and the Early Police Department held a Shattered Dreams program Monday morning to raise student awareness of the dangers of drinking or texting while driving.
A mock accident scene was viewed by students, parents and faculty in the parking lot of the football stadium which consisted of a two-car head-on collision caused by a drunk driver and a 3rd car whose driver is texting and hits the accident that has already occurred. The result of the staged accident was where one fatality at the scene occurred and one patient was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Emergency personnel including police, fire and EMS responded as if it were an actual accident while the students looked on. Air Evac transported one victim to the hospital by air and the drama continued at the emergency room. Parents of the victims were notified of the fatalities of their children as a part of the drama. One parent arrived on scene during the enactment.
All during this enactment, the “Grim Reaper” walked around the crash scene. At the end, a hearse from Heartland Funeral Home arrived to collect the body of the deceased male passenger of the first vehicle.
Students played the role of accident victims which was emotional for some onlookers. Film crews were on scene to video the event which will be highlighted at a student assembly Tuesday morning at 9:30 a.m. at Early First Baptist Church
Students at school dressed as “walking dead” throughout the school day to remind others of the mortality rate caused by drunken driving.
Early Chief of Police David Mercer stated that if the program saves even one life, it was successful. The school plans to have the event every three years so that all students will have a chance to see this program while attending Early High School.
Early Police Department, Early Volunteer Fire Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, Air Evac and Heart of Texas EMS Services worked the mock accident scene as if it were an actual wreck.
See photos of the event above and below.
