TOWAMENCIN-  Cold asphalt. Crying passengers. Crushed lives. DUI car accidents are not a joke. On April 20th, seniors at North Penn High School were exposed to a simulated DUI accident courtesy of The Safe Schools Committee. 5 police cars, 3 firetrucks, 2 ambulances, and even a helicopter made an appearance at the reenactment.

Emceed by Jamie Devine and Jason Aristizabal, the scene involved a driver under the influence of both alcohol and oxycodone and a fellow driver following way to close to the lead car. Both of these drivers, in the course of a 2 mile drive home, changed their future forever. While one was arrested, the other injured the passengers both physically and mentally. One decision caused a world of pain, a decision that can never be taken back.

Though there are many different things for students to take from the reenactment, one of the officers involved in the scene couldn’t stress enough the accountability aspect for all drivers.

“Responsibility is the one word that immediately comes to mind. You are responsible for your actions and what I’ve seen throughout the years is that what you do affects not only you but other families as well,” stated Officer David Dunlap.

Though these types of accidents may not affect students personally, they are occurring at disturbingly high rates. Even scarier is the new aspect being added to drinking and driving-drugs.

“I know in Montgomery Township we have about 200 DUIs a year, in Pennsylvania about 50,000 a year, and across the US about 1.5 million a year. But anymore the DUIDs are becoming more frequent. This is when the driver is under the influence of drugs both prescription and illegal. I was at a conference last week and now about 50% of all DUIs are DUIDs,” commented Officer David Dunlap.

Seeing the reenactment for the first time alongside the senior class was Principal Todd Bauer. He was extremely pleased with the entire senior class for their focus and the community for putting on this reenactment at North Penn.

“It was certainly the most powerful thing I’ve seen. This, in addition to the NOPE assembly we had, kind of makes things a little more real for students. I was very impressed by our audience. During the reenactment, you could hear a pin drop. The kids were totally engaged and I think some were even surprised by the helicopter. It’s amazing that the community does this for us,” stated Bauer.

As for the future of the assembly, Bauer is interested in what the seniors have to say. To him, it is all about what works best for the students and what will drive home the message.

“I want to hear that it made an impact on students. These are the most valuable learning experiences where it’s relevant and it’s real. Assuming this is as powerful as I perceived it to be, I think it is absolutely worth our time and effort.”

Seniors all reacted in different ways, many realizing the reality of drinking and driving. While some said before today they had not thought about what would actually happen others silently processed what could be the horrible future for the victims of the scene. Senior Katie Swanson was moved by the entire display.

“I think that the DUI reenactment was an eye opener to not only me but to all of the seniors. We really need to always be careful and safe and to make good decisions about driving,” remarked Katie Swanson.

Organizing this is not an easy feat. With so many working parts coming together, Ray Wilson is the man to get the job done. Being the Safe Schools/Security Coordinator, he is imperative to making this event happen.

“I was a Hatfield police officer for 31 years so I know all the chiefs and every year I contact them they’re totally receptive. Most of these guys are doing it on their own time and it’s great that they come out here. Luckily I have a connection with the guy who runs PennSTAR and we were able to get the helicopter here. A lot of programs have cut out the helicopter and different public safety aspects, so I’m really lucky to have the relationship I do with the community and different people involved,” explained Wilson.

To him, the event speaks to making good decisions. Students need to be smart now to avoid bad things happening later.

“Students need to make sure they make good decisions. No matter what, they shouldn’t be drinking and they especially shouldn’t be drinking and driving. Their decision now will stick with them, whether it’s trying to get a job or go to college, it won’t be easy. I hope all these kids see that it’s not worth it for one night.”

Another coordinator to the event was asst. secondary principal Mary Scott. With prom right around the corner, she feels that the student involvement in the scene really hit home for a lot of students.

“I think the message was very powerful and the fact that it was their own classmates participating really drove the message home. Even the local police officers and fire departments really showed how realistic the scene could be. With prom coming up, I definitely think this was important for students to see. So many people came and put their hearts and souls into this and we can’t thank them enough,” stated assistant principal Mary Scott.

Despite the impact the reenactment has on students, Scott feels the same emotion every year she watches this. To her, it is more real than ever commenting, “In my 20 years of teaching, I’ve lost too many too soon. I never want to see that happen again.”

In the end, it is all about impacting students and hoping that they come away with a new perspective about drinking and driving. It is both dangerous, illegal, and can harm many people. However if just one person walks away differently the whole reenactment is worthwhile.

“I’ve been involved in this for at least 10 years and it is a lot of work but it’s definitely rewarding. If we can save one life out of it all, it’s worth it,” Wilson said.