Five Wellsville Students Killed In Head-on Collision

Frightening headlines...

This coming week-end is the annual Wellsville High School prom. It's a time of fun with beautiful ladies and dashing gentlemen. Following the Grand March and crowning of the King & Queen at the high school those attending the prom will board buses that will take them to the Fez in Aliquippa, PA.

A couple of weeks ago on Friday, April 15, a Prom Promise mock accident was staged in the high school parking lot. It was a very graphic demonstration of what could possibly happen mixing alcohol or drugs with driving a car. It was a staged head-on collision that involved nine young people. As a result of the accident five of them were dead at the scene, three of them were hauled away in ambulances and one was given a field sobriety test, hand cuffed and hauled off to jail by the Ohio State Highway Patrol. One of those put in an ambulance was transported to a helicopter and life flighted.

All of the victims were asked to write a report on the effects of alcohol on the body, delayed reaction times it causes and other consequences of drinking and driving. The student with the winning report was “awarded” with the ride in the helicopter.

The mock accident was spearheaded by Wellsville Volunteer Firefighter Jason Mitchell. Mitchell is also a paramedic. It started with the accident being reported and fire departments and first responders being called out. Firefighters demonstrated using the Jaws of Life and other cutting tools to free the victims from the vehicles. Medics treated the surviving victims in preparation of being transported to medical facilities. The fatalities were put in body bags and loaded into a hearse.

The cars were furnished by J&J Towing. Organizations participating were the Wellsville Volunteer Fire Department, the Wellsville Fire Department, Highlandtown VFD, Wellsville Police Department, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Tri County Paramedics, Life Team Paramedics and Roberts Funeral Home.

With mangled cars and lots of life like fake blood it was a very realistic demonstration. It demonstrated what could possibly happen with drinking and driving. It opened a lot of eyes of not only the students but the adults in the audience too. We hope everyone enjoys the prom. We hope that everyone realizes you don't need alcohol or drugs to have fun and a good time. We hope that memories of the 2011 Prom are all enjoyable.

We pray that lessons were learned...

ole nib