McCormick County deputies teach road safety ahead of prom season
MCCORMICK, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - Prom season is just around the corner, which means teens may be behind the wheel or in the enger seat.
Now is the time to have a serious conversation with them about safe driving.
It was a gory scene on Wednesday as the McCormick County School District took a spin on the topic with a prom underage drinking prevention awareness event.
Car crashes are one of the leading causes of death among teens.
The National Highway Traffic Safety istration says one in three alcohol-related teen fatalities occur during prom season.
The school district showed the consequences of underage drinking, drug use and driving under the influence.
Crushed cars, shattered windows, smoke and a stretcher rolling students away.
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Sounds and a scene you never want to hear.
The scene was staged, but the message was very real.
“It’s bad. It was real bad,” said Tamira McIntosh, McCormick High School senior.
“We want them to be conscious and aware. Prom night is an important night for most of them, so they feel they can go and do some things that maybe they hadn’t done before as far as drinking or drugs. So, we just want to make sure they understand exactly what happened here today,” said Bridgette Gray, parent and teacher.
Those who plan to attend prom this year participated in the event.
The McCormick County Sheriff’s Office, South Carolina Highway Patrol and other emergency crews were there too.
Showing the ugly reality of one wrong decision.
“I heard some students saying the ambulance was taking too long to come, but you know that could happen in reality, you know? So the entire scene, it needed to happen,” said Gray.
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Proving to one student who participated that everything can change in the blink of an eye.
“Seeing the looks on people’s faces like it can get real at a snap of a finger. And seeing the dead people placed everywhere, that’s when I said, ‘well, it got real for me,’ " said McIntosh.
Bridgette Gray isn’t just a teacher, she’s also a mother.
And for her, the simulation hit home.
“My very own son was a part of this. He’s right here and to me, I mean, I know this was not real, per se. And it was dramatic for today’s event. But at the same time, it hurt me as a parent to see him being locked in handcuffs. I don’t want that to happen in reality. So it’s important that parents talk that children not just because of the problem, but at all times,” said Gray.
Gray says she hopes every student pays attention because every life matters.
“We want them to have a good time Saturday night, but we want to see all of them back here on Monday.”
McIntosh was one of the actors, and we asked how she felt during the simulation.
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“I really think what surprised me was seeing the look on people’s faces, like it can get real at the snap of a finger, and seeing the dead people placed everywhere. I say, well, it got real for me,” said McIntosh.
Gray says she hopes not only students learn from this, but parents also to reinforce the important message of not drinking and driving.
Experts at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that accidents are one of the leading causes of death among those aged 15 to 19 years. And this doesn’t just go for prom nights, it can happen at any time.
More broadly on the Georgia side, G-DOT found 7,974 deadly crashes around the state. Its data only covers up to 2023.
G-DOT has some safe driving advice on its website especially for those high school students that you can see here.
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