MOCK WRECK DRAMATIZES DRINKING'S PERILS

JACKSON -- Jackson High School students got a lesson in responsibility Wednesday when they watched fellow students die or be arrested following a simulated alcohol-related car accident.

The dramatization was intended to remind students of the dangers of drunk driving as they prepare for their prom Saturday. People 16 to 21 years old are most likely to die in car accidents, with a majority of the crashes being alcohol-related. Jackson School Resource Officer Rodney Barnes said educational activities will be held all week to make Jackson students aware of the potential for danger.

"We're trying to prepare them so they decide to stay safe and sober Saturday night," he said. "Not only do you have to not drink and drive yourself, but you have to worry about the drunks behind the wheel of the other car."

The simulated accident was treated as a real event by emergency personnel reporting to the scene. Students watched as firefighters pried three teens from a wrecked vehicle and rushed them to waiting ambulances. A state patrolman comforted a crying girl who had survived the accident, while another patrolman arrested the driver after he failed a sobriety test.

Some students joked and laughed as the drama unfolded, but the group quieted as a fifth student who had been thrown from the vehicle was covered and placed in a body bag.

"I looked in some of their eyes as they brought the body bag out. Those that weren't affected by the death were affected when they saw their classmate get arrested," Barnes said. "I think that we got the message across to a lot of those kids."

Several students said afterwards that high school students often laugh to hide their emotions. Although some had seen the dramatization at least one other time, it doesn't lose its significance, they said.

"They want to show off and act like it's not a big deal," said senior Danielle Keenan. "They don't want others to know they actually felt something."

High School Principal Rick McClard said if one student decides to stay sober after seeing the simulated accident, then it was worthwhile.

"It's one of those messages you can't say too much," he said. "You never want to take a chance and underestimate what's going on."