On Oct. 22, the University Wellness Connection staged a car accident on campus.
In the reenactment, a driver exited the vehicle to find her friend lifeless on the ground, and shouts of “Help! It hurts!” could be heard from one of the nearby cars. The screams of four girls then filled the ROTC field on campus. The crowd was silent as the Bowling Green Police Division and one state trooper walked on the scene.
As part of Alcohol Awareness Week, the crash was narrated by Sandy Wiechman, safe communities program coordinator for the Department of Recreation and Wellness.
“We are trying to make this as real as possible,” Wiechman said.
During the staged crash, a life flight helicopter landed and the crowd turned to duck from the debris. One actress was carried into the helicopter for severe internal bleeding and the final actress was taken away in a hearse as she was pronounced dead upon the responders’ arrival.
The eyes of the onlookers’ were wide with fear as the staged crash came to a close.
“As graphic as it will be, it will hopefully prevent somebody from getting behind the wheel drunk,” Derek Carlson, Officer of the University Police Department said.
Even the actresses were feeling the intensity through their performance.
“For me, I knew Danielle was alive, but when I was urging her to get up and she wasn’t moving, it scared me,” said Lauren Wells, one of the actresses in the reenactment. She made note that acting out an arrest was also no easy task. “Being in a cop car with handcuffs is very uncomfortable. I told them they needed cushions back there,” Wells said.
“Drinking and driving isn’t uncommon,” said Craig Rowley, an organizer of the staged crash and an intern with Wellness Connection.
“(It is) eye opening to know that it really is important to understand what can happen if you choose to drink and drive,” Rowley added.
Law enforcement offered some tips to avoid such a scenario. It is suggested that students opt for a cab ride home if they have been drinking. If they do not choose to take a taxi, students are urged to walk in groups and always avoid going places alone at night.
Summing the event up, Officer Carlson said, “Taxis are a lot cheaper than an OVI or a life.”
