(Photos courtesy of Todd Dandelske)
On Tuesday, April 23, 2024, West Haven High School held a staged car crash for juniors and seniors, with the help of several local agencies. The purpose of the drill was to remind students about the dangers of impaired, intoxicated, distracted, or reckless high-speed driving, and to promote safe choices as prom season approaches.
The agencies that helped in the drill were the West Haven Fire Department, West Haven Police Department, West Shore Fire District, American Medical Response, West Haven Emergency Reporting System (ERS), Yale New Haven Hospital Center for EMS SHARP Team, Yale New Haven Hospital, Bruneau’s Garage, and the West Haven Funeral Home.
The drill began with a mock 911 call as police and firetrucks arrived at a staged, head-on collision of two vehicles in the WHHS parking lot. The victims inside the cars were played by WHHS student actors. Throughout the drill, a member of the WHFD moderated the event, providing details to the audience.
Firefighters used specialized equipment to extricate the victims from the vehicles, the WHPD performed a mock arrest of the impaired driver, and the West Haven Funeral Home placed a victim in their hearse.
Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) helped spread the message by wearing deathly pale makeup for the entire school day.
“I wanted to show a message, especially this close to prom season and with kids being irresponsible sometimes,” said senior Shannon Hoey. “It shows the whole student body that it can happen to anyone.”
The drill served as a great reminder of how one wrong decision of impaired, distracted, or reckless driving can result in tragedy.
“It’s an important message to spread across to everyone, including students and even teachers,” added senior Taylor Alfano.
News Channel 8 was there to cover the drill. Click here to watch their coverage.
