Story and photos by Steven Stilt
With prom season in full swing and graduation just around the corner, students from Sandoval, Odin, and Patoka high schools saw firsthand the dangers of intoxicated and distracted driving on Friday.
Sandoval High School hosted a two-vehicle mock crash on the school’s north parking lot, with numerous emergency agencies responding to the scene.
According to Brenda Kunick, one of the event’s organizers, the program warns against driving under the influence of alcohol or medication, but also against driving while distracted by cell phones and social media.
Sandoval High School Principal Scott Bunting says the demonstration shows students the tragic events that can occur when people drive without caution.
“It brings reality to what happens, and I think it’s important for the kids to see that, and it’s important that our young people know that we care about them and that we’ll do something like this so that they can see real life and see what it’s really like, and give them the closest thing we can to feel what it is to lose somebody or to do something like this.”
Friday’s program included a mock funeral for Sandoval student Kennedy Hull and Patoka student Alexis Back, officiated by minister Claude Howell of New Life Church in Salem, who is a retired Odin firefighter. Howell says he hopes the program will help students make good decisions and avoid tragic consequences.
“This is important to me because we have an opportunity to speak some life and to speak some direction into some young people’s lives, and hopefully, we always say if we can just help one — and you hope you can help more than that — but if you can just help one to think a little differently, just to think how important they are and how important life is and decisions are. We want them to have a great time at prom, we want them to have a great graduation year, but we also want them to have a great, healthy life full of wonderful, blissful memories and not looking back on things that are difficult or painful, so it means a lot.”
Patoka student Karlie Alexander portrayed one of the drivers in the mock crash, with police officers taking her into custody as part of the program. Alexander says she hopes her fellow students will learn from the mock crash and think before they make a bad decision.
“Maybe be a little bit smarter when you’re leaving places. Realize what state you’re in and call somebody. Ask somebody to take you home. Don’t just immediately jump in your car and assume you’re going to be fine and make it.”
The mock crash involved Sandoval Fire and EMS; United Medical Response; Sandoval Police Department; Marion County Sheriff’s Office and coroner’s office; the Village of Sandoval; Revermann’s Towing; Day Macz Funeral Home; Odin Fire Protection District; administration from Sandoval, Odin and Patoka high schools; Sandoval CNA and Med Term classes; and Sandoval PTO.
Sandoval firefighters remove the top of one of the vehicles involved in Friday’s mock crash. Photo by Steven Stilt.
First responders tend to a student participating in Friday’s mock crash at Sandoval High School. Photo by Steven Stilt.
An Air Evac Life Team helicopter prepares to land at Sandoval High School. Photo by Steven Stilt.
Claude Howell speaks during a mock funeral for Sandoval student Kennedy Hull. Photo by Steven Stilt.
First responders pose for a photo following Friday’s mock crash program at Sandoval High School. (Submitted Photo)
