Northfield High School Mock Crash to Deliver Message About Teen Drinking

(Editor's note: The following is a press release from Northfield Hospital and Clinics.)

DEAD AT THE SCENE!

That will be the fate of two characters in the mock car crash planned for Friday, May 3, 1 p.m. at Northfield High School. The fatalities will be two school teachers, parents of a high school senior, fictional casualties of an under-aged drinking and driving episode.

The event, called “One For the Road,” is a reality-based portrayal of a car crash and the subsequent response by first responders, emergency medical personnel and law enforcement agencies. The audience will be some 600 juniors and seniors at Northfield High School and students at the Alternative Learning Center.

According to Brian Edwards, manager of Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Northfield Hospital & Clinics and a coordinator of the event, the purpose of the exercise is to impress upon students the serious consequences of drinking and driving.

“This exercise is designed to deliver an emotional punch,” said Edwards. “We want students to understand on a gut level what can happen when students engage in risky behavior.”

There will be an explosion to simulate a car crash. When the smoke clears, students will witness a realistic portrayal of the carnage that follows an accident. There will be multiple injuries and two fatalities. The Jaws of Life will be used to extricate accident victims from their cars --- all of this in real time.

Lisa Weis, a special education teacher at Northfield High School, and her sister, Kim Gaslin, will be the impact speakers. Kim was the victim of a drunk-driving episode 30 years ago and as a result lost her sight. The event will be held at the Northfield High School’s east parking lot. The public is invited to attend.

Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for Minnesota teens. In the last five years, 166 teen motorists were killed and only 68 were using seat restraints. The mock crash is also a reminder for parents, grandparents and caregivers to talk to their teens about teen driving laws with their teens and to establish their own family driving rules. Teen driving safety and underage drinking education is a component of the state’s Toward Zero Death (TZD) initiative. A primary vision of the TZD program is to create a safe driving culture that promotes safe and smart driving behavior.

Agencies participating in the event are: Northfield Hospital Emergency Medical Services, Northfield Police, Northfield Rescue Squad, Rice County Sheriff’s Department, Rice County Attorney’s Office, Northfield High School, SADD, Mayor’s Task Force on Youth Alcohol & Drug Use, Northfield Healthy Community Initiative, Bierman Funeral Home, Rice County Safe Communities Coalition, Minnesota State Patrol, North AirCare, MADD – Rice County, Benson and Langehough Funeral Home, AAA-MN/IA, Fette Electronics, MADD, and Rice County.