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‘Really realistic:’ Ringgold High School participates in mock crash

3 min read
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Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter

The first fire and police crews arrive on scene to 1 Ram Drive as part of Ringgold High School’s mock crash Friday afternoon. Three students participated as crash victims, with several area first responders treating the event as a real accident scene.

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Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter

After failing the field sobriety test, senior Alexa Schwab, the mock crash driver, is handcuffed and escorted to a police car while classmates look on.

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Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter

First responders raise the roof to gain access to two victims trapped in a vehicle during Ringgold High School’s mock crash Friday afternoon. Local fire, police and EMS responded to the mock crash the way they do real accidents, said Sheriff Anthony Andronas.

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Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter

After her character sustained injured in the mock crash, Ringgold senior Z Graham is taken by stretcher to an ambulance by Southeast Regional personnel. “When they put that thing on your neck, that’s tight,” Graham told classmates following the mock crash event. “Hearing everything was absolutely terrifying.”

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The actors: First responders and representatives from Monongahela and Carroll Township police, Carroll Township and Valley Inn fire, Tri-Community and Southeast Regional EMS, the Washington County Sheriffs Department and the Highway Safety Network of PennDOT District 12 pose with Ringgold High School seniors following the mock crash on campus Friday afternoon.

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Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter

Sheriff Deputy Kristie Salzman stabilizes Ringgold senior Mary Urso’s neck before Urso is transferred onto a stretcher during Friday afternoon’s mock crash at 1 Ram Drive. The crash was a real-life, real-time demonstration of how area first responders treat real accidents, and served as a reminder to students not to drive intoxicated on prom night, or ever.

Sirens blared.

Students watched as police cars and firetrucks rushed to the scene, and first responders immediately got to work on a one-vehicle crash at 1 Ram Drive Friday afternoon.

The emergency services’ response was real, but the car accident was part of Ringgold High School’s mock crash event, hosted just weeks before prom, which is May 25.

“It was really realistic,” said senior Nicole Schuster, who watched as firefighters and EMS workers removed the car roof to rescue two of her classmates from the car. “It makes you really imagine what could happen to you.”

The goal of mock crashes is to show students firsthand the consequences of drinking while intoxicated, which includes drinking and driving and driving while high. The mock crash served as a reminder to students not to drive under the influence on prom night, or any other time.

Freshman class president Andrew Nibbs narrated the crash and served as the accident’s witness. He placed the 911 call.

“I saw it as an opportunity just to talk with everyone, show why it isn’t a good reason (sic) to drink and drive. I feel like this is the best way to do it,” Nibbs said.

Senior Alexa Schwab played the drunken driver. After being escorted from the vehicle, Schwab was given a sobriety test by local first responders. She failed the test, was handcuffed and placed inside a police vehicle.

“Doing the field sobriety and getting cuffed and being put in the back of a cop car … wasn’t fun,” she told classmates following the crash.

While Schwab awaited what in real life would be felony charges, first responders worked to save the lives of seniors Z Graham and Mary Urso, who were trapped in the car. Firefighters removed the car’s doors and roof, stabilized the young women and moved them carefully onto stretchers.

“This is how we would treat a real accident scene,” said Deputy Sheriff Elizabeth Davidson. “We wanted to make it as realistic as possible … so the kids could see what a car crash actually looks like. Look how many resources get pulled to one location. I can’t say enough about fire, police. They’re here when we need them. Hopefully we don’t need them.”

Graham said the mock crash was more realistic than she expected, and Urso echoed her classmate’s sentiment.

“It was just honestly terrifying. It would be even worse if you were actually intoxicated,” Urso said. “It was just a scary thing that I would never want to experience or anyone else to.”

Friday’s mock crash is the first hosted at Ringgold High School since before the pandemic, said principal Dr. Jamie Brownfield. Along with school police and the high school senior actors, Monongahela and Carroll Township police, Carroll Township and Valley Inn fire, Tri-Community and Southeast Regional EMS, the Washington County Sheriffs Department and the Highway Safety Network of PennDOT District 12 made the mock crash possible.

“I applaud the school,” Davidson said. “Ringgold really wanted this education for the (students). If we can get across to at least one kid … we have done our jobs.”

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