LIHU‘E — For the seventh time, the sound of screeching brakes was followed by a sickening thud of two metal steeds colliding on a wet road. The simulated accident for Shattered Dreams unfolded Wednesday on Lala Road fronting Kaua‘i High
LIHU‘E — For the seventh time, the sound of screeching brakes was followed by a sickening thud of two metal steeds colliding on a wet road.
The simulated accident for Shattered Dreams unfolded Wednesday on Lala Road fronting Kaua‘i High School where, on cue, several hundred students flocked to the accident scene.
Sirens broke the quiet of the morning and flashing lights from emergency responders shown through misting rain.
Mark Scribner, a retired Kaua‘i Police Department officer, said Bridget Arume spearheaded this year’s Shattered Dreams event, utilizing substance abuse grant funds.
“A lot of this, though, involves volunteerism,” Scribner, a veteran Shattered Dreams leader, said. “The work being done by American Medical Response, the Kaua‘i Fire Department, the Kaua‘i Police Department, the mortuary and even the tow truck companies are voluntary.”
Shattered Dreams is an educational experience designed to remind people of the dangers associated with drinking and driving.
The experience, a dramatization of an alcohol-related crash on or near a high school campus, reminds students that too many young lives have already been lost and countless others severely impaired because of the tragic consequences of underage drinking combined with driving.
“I know it’s a simulation, but when I saw the driver (role played by a high school student), I couldn’t help but react,” said Leah Aiwohi, Kaua‘i High School media teacher and advisor. “This was really emotional.”
During the accident, AMR ambulances, Kaua‘i Fire Department and Kaua‘i Police Department personnel respond in a manner they do during real accidents.
Hovering over the scene, a grim reaper, made a tour through the accident, a reminder that someone is injured or killed as the result of drunken driving every 15 minutes. A follow-up assembly is held the following day featuring students who portrayed accident victims as well as representatives from the emergency first responders.
“We want to share the message to not drink if you are under 21 years of age,” Arume said. “And, never drink alcohol and drive, no matter what age.”
