Tewksbury Police to Conduct Mock, Fatal Car Crash for Local Teens

The Tewksbury Police Department, in cooperation with the Tewksbury School Department, Tewksbury Fire Department, EMS providers, the Boston Med Flight Safe Teen Program, and Tewksbury Memorial High School staff and students will create a dramatic reenactment of a fatal car crash for Tewksbury teenagers.

The mock crash will take place on Tuesday, April 28. A rain date is set for Wednesday, April 29.

Officials say the focus will be on illustrating the severe consequences of driving while impaired, distracted driving, and other dangerous behaviors behind the wheel. The crash will realistically simulate an actual response, with full lights and sirens from first responders, air medical evacuation, and with the students playing roles as victims.

A core group of 10 students have volunteered to participate in the event and take an active role in promoting safe driving practices among their peers. The group will meet with Tewksbury Police Department and Boston Med-Flight staff to coordinate the details of the program and their role in bringing it to their school. The students will be working collaboratively and building positive relationships with Police, Fire, and EMS, as they create the event.

Safety education is typically promoted during prom season; however, tragic events can occur at any time of the year, regardless of the season. The Tewksbury Police Department and Tewksbury Public Schools have incorporated mock crashes into their safety training for teenagers in the past; however, this year the Boston Med-Flight Safe-Teen Team will be on hand to add a dramatic aspect to the event. The Safe-Teen Program is designed to support communities in their preventive education. It incorporates the Boston Med-Flight helicopter as an emergency responder in the mock scenario, along with Tewksbury Police, Fire, and EMS vehicles.

“This event allows our school community, along with community first responders to understand that a car crash can have a serious, long lasting impact on our school, families, friends, classmates, and community,” Police Chief Timothy Sheehan said in a press release. “We are grateful to our community’s first responders, school administrators, and Boston Med Flight for making this event possible. We are especially proud of our own Tewksbury Memorial High School students who have embraced the task of bringing an event like this to their peers.”

“Boston Med-Flight was pleased to join our community’s first responders and emergency personnel in this important effort to promote safe behavior among teenagers,” Sheehan goes on to say. “It is the hope of all involved disciplines that by bringing this program to the community we can help reduce injuries and save lives.”