PLANTATION, FLA. (WSVN) - Concerned parents and school officials are coming together to host an event reminding high schoolers to stay safe, avoid impaired driving, and make smart choices on one of the most memorable nights of their lives—prom night.
Attendees saw a demonstration on how a decision to drive impaired could end: their car mangled and first responder using the Jaws of Life tool to try and free them from the vehicle.
American Heritage student Harlee Ross organized the presentation on campus with Mothers Against Drunk Driving(MADD) and Plantation Fire Rescue
“You can’t prevent accidents like this from happening. You can prevent getting behind the wheel while impaired or distracted and harming the life of yourself and others around you,” said Ross.
“It’s so critical for us to get in front of students, especially as we approach the time of prom and graduation, and going off to college to teach them about the very real dangers of drinking and driving,” said Heather Geronemus with MADD.
Where words could fail, the jawing demonstration of the mangled car painted a visual picture of the dangers of driving impaired.
Nonetheless, students also heard from victims’ families.
Amani Criales and her husband Bryan shared their reality after a drunk driver changed their lives forever.
“A man just ruined the lives of an entire family all because he decided to drink and drive,” said Amani Criales.
That wrong-way and drunk driver crashed into Bryan and his sister along I-95. His sister Carmen was killed while Bryan suffered a traumatic brain injury—having to relearn to walk, eat, and talk.
“It’s like truly eye-opening to show the students how impacted your life can become by getting behind the wheel or getting in the car of somebody who’s impaired, distracted,” said Ross
“It’s really easy to separate yourself from this issue but really drunk driving is all around us, two out of three people will be impacted in their lifetime,” said Geronemus.
A walk and 5K is scheduled in April in Downtown Fort Lauderdale to fundraise for programs like MADD.
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