Warning: The photos and video with this story are from a staged crash, but could be upsetting to some people.
A staged crash in front of W. J. Mouat Secondary in Abbotsford on Thursday morning (May 12) served as a reminder of the dangers of impaired driving, particularly in relation to grad season.
The mock collision involved two vehicles – a Tesla and a Mustang – that crashed head-on, with a total of five occupants, two of whom were seriously injured.
One was trapped in the Mustang and required the Jaws of Life to be freed, and the driver of the Tesla was “impaired.”
Participating first responders included the Abbotsford Police Department (APD), Abbotsford Fire Rescue Service and BC Ambulance, as well as E-Comm 911 and members of the APD’s youth section and victim services.
Const. Scott McClure, an impaired-driving investigator with the APD, said the staged crash took about three months to plan out, including working with ICBC and Jack’s Towing to obtain and transport the crashed vehicles.
RELATED: Impaired-driving investigations are personal for Abbotsford Police officer
The Abbotsford school district was also consulted.
Actors played the roles of the crash victims, and professional makeup artists created their wounds.
McClure said the purpose of the event was to “connect with students” leading up to grad season.
“We expect there will be some consumption of alcohol and there will be some consumption of drugs,” he said.
“We want to have these conversations with students. We want to connect with them and and we want to show them the potential impact these types of incidents can have and what impaired driving results in.”
An assembly took place at the school afterwards, with a discussion about the mock collision and impaired driving.
The staged crash was also filmed, and McClure said the footage could potentially be used at future school presentations.
vhopes@abbynews.com
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