Lourdes Documdrama
A simulated accident led to some very real emotions recently for students at Lourdes Central Catholic in Nebraska City.
During Homecoming Week in late September, Nebraska City Police, the Nebraska City Volunteer Fire Department, and Nebraska City Emergency Medical Services joined with Lourdes Student Council members in presenting a docudrama of a mock traffic fatality in the school parking lot.
Nebraska City Police Officer Ben Murry said the scenario simulated was an actual accident he had previously responded to involving high school students in another town. In the scenario, a drunk driver, lack of seatbelt usage, and a two-car collision resulted in an arrest, serious injuries, and even a fatality.
Junior Laura Box is on the school’s Student Council and helped plan the event. Her job was to react as if she was first on the scene of a real accident.
“It was not hard to have real crying,” Box said. “I am close friends with the girl who portrayed the fatality victim and it was easy to shed real tears to think of her in that situation.”
Officer Murry said the docudrama was intended to demonstrate how impaired and distracted driving can impact any situation.
“We want to do this so people see the importance of not driving while impaired or under the influence, as well as wearing seatbelts,” Murry said. “Distracted driving is becoming more and more prevalent in today’s society. We want everybody to be safe.”
The “accident” was set up in the parking lot of Lourdes Central Catholic High School. The members of the student council who were involved in the event, either as drivers, passengers, or bystanders, did not attend classes that morning, leading many students to express concern over their absence.
The student body was scheduled to dismiss at 1:30 that day due to Homecoming activities. Just before the bell rang, a simulated 911 call was broadcast over the loudspeakers. Students and teachers, who had already been informed of the docudrama, headed to the parking lot and witnessed the carnage. Rescue personnel were already attempting to extricate crash victims from previously wrecked vehicles while police were performing sobriety tests on one of the drivers. One student lay very still on the ground next to the vehicles; she was later placed in a body bag and driven away in a hearse.
While the majority of the student body quickly realized the “accident” was, in fact, not real, many were still unable to control their own reactions.
“I had a panic attack,” said sophomore Lety Rodriguez. “I couldn’t get the thought of those students being hurt in any way out of my head. It was especially hard because they are friends of mine.”
“I have never seen an accident up close like that before,” said sophomore Brittni Watkins. “It was pretty serious stuff.”
Immediately following the docudrama, all the participants, from students to police to rescue personnel, met with the student body in the school’s auditorium. All the professionals involved shared stories of how they respond to accidents and detailed statistics related to impaired driving, distracted driving, and seatbelt usage. The “victims” of the docudrama also spoke about their roles (driver, passenger, victim) and what the experience was like for them.
“I thought the experience was very valuable for our students,” said Father Mark Cyza, principal at Lourdes Central Catholic. “They were able to experiences some of the realities of what can happen through impaired and distracted driving. Hopefully this will help our students to make good decisions when they get behind the wheel.”
Tammy Partsch
Lourdes Central Catholic
October 2015
