Senior Maggie Overn, who was an actor in Thursday’s Prom Promise mock crash, initially thought the event might not impact students too substantially, but believes she was proved wrong.
“I thought some of them wouldn’t take it seriously, but when I got out of the car it was dead silent, so I think they were definitely moved by it,” Overn said.
The mock prom crash simulated the aftermath of a fatal drunk driving accident, with a goal of discouraging underage drinking and drunk driving by high school students.
It was the first time the event has been held at Baldwin since the Covid-19 pandemic. Baldwin High School police officer Robert Smith pushed for bringing back the tradition.
“I want everyone to understand when you make a bad decision, how impactful that can be moving forward,” Smith said.
After receiving approval from Supt. Dr. Randal Lutz, planning began with collaboration among several departments, including the Whitehall’s police department, EMS, and fire department. Assistant Principal Brandon Whitfield and counseling department chair Noel Santini also played key roles in coordinating the event.
“We had to first get the students on board, explaining exactly what’s going to transpire during the event,” Santini said. “They have to prepare the cars for students. We hired someone to come in and put all the makeup on the kids to look real life – as if they were in an actual car crash. It’s a lot, and it takes a lot of people (and) a lot of time.”
The students who played roles during the mock crash had a lot of prep work to do.
“We had to get to the school very early, at 6:45. We got changed and got our makeup on for the event,” senior Max Pegher said
There was a lot of mental preparation that went into it for the student actors.
“I had to be the first out of the car and call 911. I was super nervous because I had to start the whole thing. But I talked to Mr. Whitfield and Mrs. Santini, and they helped me know what to do,” Overn said.
Featuring realistic makeup, live demonstrations of tools such as the “jaws of life,” and emotional performances, the mock crash was an intense simulation.
“I always knew that drunk driving was horrible, but this made me realize how real it is and how much it can affect people,” Pegher said.
The program began in the auditorium, where Smith gave a presentation about different types of vehicle collisions. Juniors and seniors then walked out to the central lot to watch the event.
Students could immediately see the cars and actors. Pegher played a character who had been thrown through a car windshield and was quickly declared a casualty. Senior Cenzo Pacella played a character who was arrested for driving under the influence and causing the collision. Senior Spencer Maist played a character who was injured in the crash and was carried off on a stretcher into the ambulance.
Juniors and seniors then headed back to the auditorium, where Smith and Whitfield debriefed them on the event.
Students said they thought the mock crash was realistic and brought awareness to the dangers of driving under the influence.
“The mock crash was definitely intense, from the pictures the police officer showed us to the blood and fake dead bodies. It made me realize how quickly your life can change, and that drunk driving is even more dangerous than just a DUI,” senior Neil Agnew said.
Senior Jerome Sherwood agreed, saying this experience helped spread awareness to seniors, who will attend their prom next week.
“Prom is a big night for a lot of people. I think it’s good that the school cares about their students enough that they would bring back an event that brings awareness to students drinking and driving,” Sherwood said.
Smith emphasized that poor decisions don’t just affect the individual making them.
“The message I want everybody to understand is that your actions affect other people,” Smith said. “When we make bad decisions, we don’t just impact our own lives – we impact the lives of everyone around us, and then those people’s families, and it just spreads.”
