Tewksbury Police Department Put On a Mock Crash at TMHS

The following information was provided by the Tewksbury Police Department:

The Tewksbury Police Department will be presenting a “Mock Crash” at Tewksbury Memorial High School on Tuesday, May 21 at 9 a.m., targeting the junior and senior student population.  

This presentation is as part of the Tewksbury Police Department’s ongoing commitment to educating our young drivers about the perils of impaired driving.

The reenactment will take place in the Tewksbury Memorial High School parking lot and will serve as a realistic reminder about the ominous consequences that can result from drinking and driving.

With help from several Tewksbury Police Officers, firefighters, and local paramedics, the students will watch as  their classmates – made up in fake blood – are pulled from the wreckage of a totaled vehicle with the assistance of the Jaws of Life.

After it is determined that one classmate cannot be saved, they will witness an impaired classmate perform unsatisfactorily on sobriety testing before being arrested for Operating Under the Influence of Alcohol and Motor Vehicle Homicide. 

With prom and graduation on the horizon, the Police Department is hoping to impress upon students the importance of making safe decisions, especially when on the road.

The leading cause of death for those ages 15-20 is a car accident. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 33% of 15 to 20 year-olds who were killed in motor vehicle crashes nationwide in 2009 had a blood alcohol content of .01 or higher.  

Additionally, young drivers tend to engage in other risky driving behaviors while drinking, such as speeding, distracted driving, running red lights, making illegal turns, and not wearing seat belts.  

In 2009, 70% of the young drivers involved in fatal crashes who had been drinking were also unrestrained. Any loss or injury on our roadways is one too many.  

The Tewksbury Police Department recognizes that traffic crashes are preventable, and is committed to using enforcement, programs, and initiatives such as this to reduce the number of motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries among people under 21.

The Tewksbury Police Department will enforce a zero-tolerance policy on minors who seek to circumvent the law and those people and businesses that allow them to do so. Whether you are under age, plan to sell to a minor, or buy alcohol for a minor, we will be on the lookout. Offenders will be criminally prosecuted and businesses will be referred to the licensing authority for administrative action.

The Department’s mission is to partner with the Community to combat this very serious problem.  

The Tewksbury Police Department graciously acknowledges the support of the Tewksbury School Dept., S.A.D.D., Tewksbury Fire Dept., Tewksbury Funeral Home, and Penney’s Auto who have donated their time and resources to make this presentation possible.