Chief Richard D. Howe and the Tyngsborough Police Department, with support from several community stakeholders, held a mock crash for juniors and seniors at Tyngsborough High School on Tuesday morning as prom and graduation season approach.
The mock crash was staged with support from Tyngsborough High School theater students and makeup artist Samantha Puma, Tyngsborough High School staff and Superintendent Michael Flanagan, Recreation and Parks Director Allison Page, the Tyngsborough Highway Department, the Tyngsborough Funeral Home, Metro Mass Entertainment and DJ Steve Fugazzotto, Tyngsborough Media and Duff’s Garage, which donated vehicles to be used in the event.
Students watched a video in the school’s auditorium before heading outside. There they found two badly damaged vehicles, with three student-actors portraying dead victims and a fourth student-actor role-playing as a drunken driver. Other student-actors portraying the victims’ friends pulled up in a third car, and exited weeping and in panic.
Approximately 200 members of the senior and junior classes looked on silently.
Fire Chief Wes Russell narrated for students as police and firefighters responded as they would to a real crash. Tyngsborough Funeral Home sent a hearse to pick up the “victims.”
The goal of the mock crash was to warn students of the potentially devastating consequences of drinking and driving.
Following the mock crash, seniors watched a second video in the auditorium that featured a student-actor being booked and placed into a holding cell at the Tyngsborough Police Station. Rony Camille, Tyngsborough Director of Media, prepared the videos in advance.
“With prom and graduation right around the corner, the Tyngsborough Police Department along with our community partners wanted to drive home the potential consequences and dangers of drinking and driving,” said School Resource Officer Bethany Bonzcar, who worked to organize the event. “Tyngsborough is not immune from such unfortunate and avoidable tragedies. We wanted students to walk away knowing what the impact that drinking and driving could have, not only to them, but their family, friends, and community as well.”
The eight student actors who are part of the Tyngsborough High School theater program who made the event possible are Emily Keaney, Jake Pelletier, Olivia Lambert, Eva Gorman, Emily Fugazzotto, Samantha Puma, Paige Patnaude, Lahna DeSimone, and Joseph Rodwell.
“I would like to thank everyone who participated and helped to put this important safety event together, particularly Officer Bonczar, who is part of our School Resource team,” said Chief Howe. “A lot of coordination and effort goes into an event like this, and I’m particularly proud of Officer Bonczar’s efforts and continued collaboration with our schools, the Fire Department, and all stakeholders who made this event successful.”