WALKER, Mich. — Comstock Park High School transformed its parking lot into a sobering scene Wednesday afternoon—staging a realistic car crash demonstration to drive home the deadly consequences of distracted driving.
Rain that dominated the morning hours eased up enough to allow the student body to gather in the lot to witness the elaborate simulation which involved the Plainfield and Alpine township fire departments, Kent County Sheriff's deputies, Life EMS, Rockford Ambulance, and AeroMed.
Student actors played crash victims, depicting three seriously injured occupants and one fatality. The demonstration culminated with a mock funeral service, complete with eulogy and slideshow, designed to show students the ultimate price of poor driving decisions.
"Today, we just want to put out awareness of distracted driving," explained Jessica Herrington, fire and life safety educator at Plainfield Fire Department, who coordinated the event. "It is around prom season right now, so we just want to show the students that this is what could happen if they don't pay attention."
Senior Broque Twitchell, who volunteered to portray one of the crash victims, brought a unique perspective as both participant and newly licensed driver. Having recently obtained his license, Twitchell has already witnessed the problem firsthand.
"I see so many people on their phones and so many people distracted. I'm like, What are we doing?" Twitchell said, describing his observations at four-way stops and intersections. His solution is simple but effective: "I put my phone in the back seat, just so it's out of sight, out of mind."
Twitchell, who was recruited for the demonstration due to his theater background, understood the gravity of the role he was playing. "It's important because to have one of your peers or be one of the people involved in it and see what happens when something like this, something this serious, actually happens," he explained.
The demonstration's power lies in its peer-to-peer impact. When students see their classmates—people they've grown up with—lying motionless on the pavement, the abstract concept of driving dangers becomes viscerally real.
"It's super impactful for the students... Because they know that individual that's on the ground," Herrington noted. "They have grown up with these students, and they they know the students, and one of them can be one of their best friends."
"This is not meant to scare students, but it is meant to invoke some emotion, which we know makes that connection for students," Faustin explained. The goal was clear: "Really it's about connecting the dots for students that as they gain independence and are making their own decisions, and they're getting behind a wheel."
The demonstration represents the culmination of ongoing safety education efforts. Earlier in the spring, the school hosted a "Think Fast" driving simulation assembly that covered statistics about distracted driving, impaired driving, and myths surrounding THC versus alcohol use while operating vehicles. Wednesday's crash simulation served as the emotional capstone to that educational foundation.
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