Mock Crash at Penncrest High School Brings Community Together
Posted 4/29/2010
By Martha Grieco of Main Line Health, Riddle Hospital
By 9:30 a.m. on April 22, 2010, the parking lot of Penncrest High School, 134 Barren Road in Middletown, was full of emergency fire and ambulance vehicles and their crews, police, crashed cars, and injured youth.
Gathered on the grass to witness an accident scene unfold before their eyes were 550 Penncrest seniors and juniors. This was a staged reenactment of an accident scene with two cars containing young drivers and their passengers, all suffering injuries from a crash caused by a drunk driver. On the scene was FOX29 Sportscaster Tom Sredenschek, a Penncrest ’81 graduate, who reported the accident in real-time to create an even more powerful scene for the students.
A team of 23 Penncrest students assisted in the acting roles and as part of the tech crew, including filming, sound crew, stage setup and Welcoming Committee. HCI Optimist Club President Nicalia Thompson served as emcee for the event. Healthy Communities Initiative (HCI), founded in 2000, brought the concept of the Mock Crash to the school district in this unique form, in partnership with The Riddle HealthCare Foundation. Also, this is the third year that the State Farm Insurance Company has awarded a grant to Riddle for the program, as part of The National Teen Driver Safety Initiative. Recognizing the value of such an event for their students at Penncrest, the Rose Tree Media Administration and the leadership at the high school put Assistant Principal Eric Bucci in charge of making the event happen. Bringing together the community for the benefit of youth is the mission of HCI, and the healthcare issues of youth are important to the Riddle Hospital/MLHS as well. Riddle Hospital EMT crews worked frantically with other community response teams, PA State Police and surrounding township police officers as the “911 call” went out. Responders had full gear and actual equipment used at accident scenes to extract the victims. Students watched their classmates -- HCI Optimist Club and SADD Club members, along with adult actors from The Media Theatre -- assume the roles of drivers, passengers, and parents. Following the outdoor segment, an indoor presentation was done by the Cruisin’ Not Boozin’ Program of Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital. It featured a Penncrest High School graduate, Ray Lavois, himself an actual accident victim, who shared his story of bad decisions, consequences, injury, and recovery.
“Motor vehicle crashes are the No.1 cause of death among teens in this country. One in four crash fatalities involve a 16 to 24-year-old driver. State Farm, along with our partners here today, are working hard to change these alarming statistics. With driver safety education and increased supervised drive time behind the wheel, we can have a positive impact on our kids’ decisions that help prevent risky behavior and hopefully save lives.”
Dave Phillips, Public Affairs Specialist, State Farm
Other supporting groups and individuals included PA State Trooper/Community Services Officer Rosemary McGuire; Penncrest faculty and administration; fire companies from Lima, Middletown, and Lenni; Media Borough and Upper Providence Police; Dean Keyes Towing and Jefferson Hospital STAT Helicopter Services.