Morton High School junior and senior students witnessed the tragic events of a prom night disaster Thursday afternoon.
As part of the American Red Cross Central Illinois Chapter's mock prom crash, "Operation Prom Night" at MHS, several students took the role of teenagers involved in a prom night wreck caused by drunk driving.
To MHS senior Adriana Garcia, this was something the current class needed to see.
Garcia said she fears that some students in her class do not take responsibility for their actions, particularly those involving alcohol.
"I think our class needed to see this," she said.
She knows that, for some of her fellow high school classmates, underage consumption is nothing new. And, she said she worries that someday something might happen.
"Everytime I tell them (if they go out drinking), please just call me," Garcia said.
Garcia played the role of the screaming mother who arrives on scene only to find her daughter lying dead, bloody and across the front hood of a car.
Senior Kevin Carter, who played the role of the drunk driver, said the whole event seemed 'surreal.'
"When I was sitting in the (squad) car, I imagined myself in that situation," he said. "It's scary to think about."
Members of the Morton Fire Department, Morton Police Department, Tazewell Coutny Sheriff's Office and Tazewell County Coroner Dennis Conover all participated in the reenactment. Don Chapman of Knapp-Johnson Funeral Home arrived to carry the lifeless body of MHS senior Breanna Brewer in a body bag to the hurse.
Hundreds of students watched from the sidewalk at the high school on Illinois Street. Following the reenactment they heard Tazewell County Deputy Chuck Linton discuss the consequences of alcohol consumption on prom night.
"Bottom line here guys — we're not blind to what goes on with high schoolers," Linton said. "It doesn't just involve alcohol. Prescription drug abuse is rampant in high schools."
He explained what the students just witnessed will likely be worse in real life. He said the difficult part for anyone in such a situation is waiting for help to arrive.
"If it happens in the county, it may take 10 or 15 minutes for (help) to get there," Linton said. "You could literally sit in a car with you dead friend ... for 20 minutes before we get to you."
