Staff writer
Peabody-Burns High School and Middle School students and staff stood in a semi-circle April 23 and watched a drama unfold in front of them at a simulated car crash. Four high school students were in two vehicles positioned to represent one car slamming broadside into another after the first sailed through a stop sign at a high rate of speed, the driver under the influence of alcohol.
Almost immediately, the street filled with emergency vehicles provided by Peabody ambulance and police department, Peabody Fourth Fire District, sheriff’s department, and a Life Team helicopter.
Crews from each began to treat the injured, examine the scene, and talk to the driver. Someone covered the body of a girl who “died” when she was thrown through the windshield of the car in which she was riding.
Emergency personnel, paramedic Larry Larsen and Marion County Sheriff’s officer Jim Philpott, narrated the action as it unfolded.
“We try to do these demonstrations every four or five years,” Larsen said. “Of course the kids all know that it is a re-enactment of a crash, but seeing their friends bleeding and injured or dealing with the guilt of being a young driver who has essentially just killed his girlfriend can be an eye-opener.
“We hope the kids who watched all of this and heard the details will remember to make good choices, not just on prom night, but anytime. Even though this was just a demonstration, it could be a reality for any of the kids watching today.”