As high schools gear up for homecomings and a host of celebrations, so do the chances of students taking part in potentially dangerous and deadly behavior like driving under the influence.
To make sure its students understand the consequences, St. Brendan's Catholic High School Students Against Destructive Decisions club worked with the Miami Dade Police and Fire Departments and other local groups to stage a deadly mock accident.
"We can try to prevent at least one person from drinking and driving that would have such a huge impact on what this club is about," said SADD member and participant Devin Obrea.
Narrated by a police officer and participating students, St. Brendan's student body heard and saw a story about a post-homecoming party where alcohol was served, and was followed up by a deadly head-on collision that ended with the deaths of two teenaged girl passengers. The female driver and female another passenger were both seriously injured, and a couple in the second car were killed as well.
"It kind of makes you think, you know," said 11th grader Phillip Tschiggfrie.
The man and woman in that second car happened to be the parents of one of the injured. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue used real tools to cut the pair out of their badly damaged vehicle.
The National Highway Traffic Association Safety Administration finds that car accidents are the leading cause of death for teens, and that one out of three of those wrecks involves alcohol.
"It's important that everyone knows how serious this is, and it really is not a joke at all," said Mackenzie Joyce, an 11th grader. "This happens a lot."
