The south parking lot at Fort Zumwalt West High School will transform into car crash scene on Friday, April 26. Mangled cars and mock student victims strewn about will set the stage for a distracted driving crash reenactment. First responders will report to the scene with lights flashing and sirens blaring in an effort to rescue the students in need.
The reenactment will start at 1:40 p.m. at Fort Zumwalt West High School, 1251 Turtle Creek Dr., O’Fallon, Missouri 63366. It is expected to last approximately 30 minutes. The O’Fallon Fire Protection District (OFPD), O’Fallon Police Department, St. Charles County Ambulance District and Arch Helicopter, along with students from the school’s drama program, will participate.
“Driving can be dangerous and this event really puts things in perspective for these students. To see firsthand what can happen from driving distracted, whether that be texting and driving, driving under the influence or simply not paying attention, has a dramatic impact. Our hope is that students will think twice before they drive distracted, or ride in a car with a distracted driver, and make the right choice,” OFPD Assistant Chief Brian Moore says.
The event, which is being organized by the OFPD, is part of the National Safety Council’s (NSC) Distracted Driving Awareness Month. According to the NSC, at least nine Americans die and 100 are injured in distracted driving crashes daily, and more than 40,000 were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2018. They are encouraging everyone to “Just Drive.”
“This is a good reminder for the entire community. We all need to pay attention and just drive,” Moore says.