SADD presents mock disaster drill

THE MAHS SADD Club (Students Against Destructive Decisions) recently organized and hosted a “mock disaster” to highlight the very real dangers of distracted driving and driving under the influence.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among teens ages 16 to 19 than among any other age group. Motor vehicle accidents are also the leading cause of death of teens ages 13 to 19 years of age. Many of these accidents are caused by distracted and/or driving under the influence. To raise awareness of the very real dangers of distracted driving, the Meyersdale Area School District and MAHS SADD Club (Students Against Destructive Decisions), along with community partners, presented a mock crash drill earlier this month.

With the assistance of the Meyersdale Volunteer Fire Department, local law enforcement and first responders, students witnessed a realistic, and at times, graphic depiction of a “mock disaster.” The scene was as realistic as possible with “victims” and emergency personnel responding to the scene.

The scenario presented was that a drunk driver in an SUV collided with the driver’s door of a smaller car. A victim was ejected and deceased from the front seat of the SUV, and there were eight victims in total. None of the individuals in either vehicle were wearing a seatbelt.

Members of the MAHS SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) along with other volunteers help portray the mock accident.

SADD advisor Elizabeth McClintock said, “I feel the mock disaster is a wonderful learning opportunity for our students. Even though it isn’t real, I can only hope the students are able to relate to how it would feel if it was a friend or family member. Drunk and distracted driving has decreased over the years because of the opportunity to educate young adults with events like the mock disaster.”

Jaylynn Anderson, SADD president, was among the student volunteers and portrayed a victim in the mock disaster.

She said the event was scary and realistic, highlighting the dangers of impaired driving. “I believe that this event is so important because it gives a real life example of the harsh consequences of drunk driving. I hope that every student paid attention and took this seriously, because if you choose to drive impaired, your actions affect more lives than just yours.”