The last time Fair Grove students witnessed a mock car wreck was over 20 years ago. On Friday, October 30th, S.A.D.D. (Students Against Destructive Decisions) officers along with the Fair Grove Police and Fire Departments, set up a visual example of a wreck right outside of the school for the students to witness.

The students witnessed the results of a head on collision between Brandon Hart (12), and Angelina Vasquez (12). Maegan Holland (11), rode alongside Hart, and Vasquez was shown to be driving with her two younger siblings; Angelica Vasquez (9) and Jimmy Vasquez (5). Hart was portrayed driving while under the influence, and had crashed into Vasquez’s car, killing Holland, Angelica, and Jimmy. While Angelina was put onto a stretcher and taken inside the ambulance, firefighters took her two siblings from the car, placed them onto the ground, and covered their bodies, just as they would in a real life situation. Holland, was also taken from the car and placed onto the ground with Angelica and Jimmy.

After the victims of the crash had been taken care of, Hart was taken from the car and questioned by the police chief. He was then put through the basic field sobriety tests and was portrayed to have failed. Hart was taken to the police car as fellow classmates watched attentively, tears filling their eyes.
“This event really opened my eyes and made me think about how this could actually affect me. It’s hard to think that things like this actually happen every day to high school students and that it’s not just acting,” Steven Huskey (10), commented.

After the car crash, students silently headed to the gymnasium to listen to Fair Grove’s police chief, Brian Way, and Fire Chief, Mark Raymond, talk about the car accidents they have witnessed due to poor decisions. They really pushed the concept of making good decisions and not drinking and driving, hoping that maybe one of their stories would save a student’s life.

“Continue to invite your friends who struggle with alcohol and drugs to drug-free alternatives,” suggests Jon Foster, the SADD sponsor, “they may tell you ‘no’ ten times, but that eleventh time may be the night you saved their life.”