TVS holds mock crash, safety belt check

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WEST ALEXANDRIA — On Friday, April 28, students at Twin Valley South High School were given a sobering lesson in the realities of not making good decisions while behind the wheel of a vehicle, during a traditional “mock crash” exercise held prior to prom night.

Law enforcement and West Alexandria Fire and EMS personnel set the scene for the crash, and students, first responders and dispatch role played through it as if it were ac actual event.

A member of West Alexandria Fire and EMS staff spoke from a truck to the students during the activity.

“Since the year 2020, 230,000, teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19 were either killed or injured in car accidents. These were all causes, in relation to speed, texting, being under the influence — all those factored in,” he said. “That works out to every 2.2 minutes during year 2020, a student was involved in an accident and either died or was injured.”

“What we’re hoping today is that you guys will pay attention and just kind of learn that decisions we make can cause lifelong consequences,” he added.

“You might remember an incident down around Monroe High School in 2018, with a young lady named Kaylee. She was the backseat passenger in a car that her best friend was driving. They investigated and she was going about 100 miles an hour. They were late for dinner on prom night. She drifted a little left of center, overcorrected and crashed. Nobody was wearing their seatbelts. Two people were ejected and three days later Kaylee died. So, whatever we can do to kind of get you guys to pay attention is a good thing,” he told the students.

In conjunction with the mock crash, a seat belt check was also conducted at the school between 6:50 and 7:31 a.m. as students and staff were arriving to school.

This seatbelt check was completed as part of a prom activity to promote the use of seatbelts, by rewarding students and staff at TVS for wearing their seatbelts, according to Preble County Sheriff’s Deputy Greg McWhinney. He was assisted in this activity by the senior members of the TVS SADD organization. McWhinney and the students observed incoming cars at the first stop sign on Education Drive at the TVS campus.

“”We observed 214 incoming cars,” McWhinney said. “There were 27 cars that did not have seatbelts being used. The drivers wearing seatbelts were rewarded with gift cards donated by local McDonald’s, Dairy Queen, and Skyline.”

“This group of students from the TVS SADD organization had great energy and represented their school to the highest level,” McWhinney added. “The seatbelt numbers were not as good as past years, but I feel like this was a positive activity that will only have a continued positive result.”

Reach Eddie Mowen Jr. at 937-683-4061 and follow on Twitter @emowenjr.

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