“Scary,” “moving” and “stressful” were the words Coral Shores High School sophomore Natalie Goodwin used as she left the school’s performing arts center. Goodwin and classmates witnessed a realistic death notification onstage by a Monroe County deputy.
On April 23, law enforcement and emergency response agencies enacted a mock crash at Coral Shores. Students saw real law enforcement officers at work. Emergency response vehicles surrounded the school using lights and sirens. Students witnessed real back boards, handcuffs and body bags. The tears, blood and victims weren’t real, but the emotions were.
The student body filled the auditorium. Some had heard they were going to see a crash of some kind, but had no idea what they were about to see. In preparation, they were told they could exit to the lobby and that school counseling staff members were in the lobby for anyone needing support.
The stage opened with a high school drinking party. There were calls to parents. Students left the party to drive home. Then a dark auditorium was filled with the sounds of sirens from emergency vehicles parked outside.
The next scene was a death notification realistically conducted by Monroe County Sheriff’s Sgt. Patty O’Keefe. Then the curtain opened to show a crash scene involving vehicles on the stage. Islamorada Fire Rescue personnel in full gear used cutting tools to remove victims from vehicles.
The scenes moved on to a field sobriety test conducted by Sheriff’s Deputy Andrew Leird and handcuffs placed on the teen driver played by student Miranda Anderson. Then, on stage, the body of a victim was transferred from the wreck to the gurney of a funeral home and wheeled out through the aisle of the auditorium.
“The idea is ‘scared safe,’” said Islamorada Fire Rescue Chief Terry Abel. “It’s a Coral Shores High School and Islamorada Fire Rescue production. We’ve done it several times over the years, but not since before COVID. It’s a lot of work to bring everyone together, but if one student makes the right decision because of what we did, it’s worth it.”
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation officer Liam Rodriguez followed with statistics and graphic photos of boating accidents right off the Upper Keys. He said the FWC has a policy of zero tolerance of alcohol for anyone under the age of 21 in charge of the operation of a boat. Rodriguez also clarified that there is no such thing as a “doctor’s excuse.” If a prescription drug diminishes your capability, you are impaired and should not be operating a vehicle of any kind.
Then, retired Islamorada Fire Capt. Walter Mason took the podium to describe his own personal tragedy caused by addiction.
The last speaker, Melissa Simmons, a prosecutor with the State’s Attorney Office, went from the message of “scared safe” to “scared straight.” She said the state blood-alcohol level for DUI for anyone under 21 operating a vehicle of any kind is .02. That’s a couple of sips. She emphasized that car accidents are the number one cause of death for teens and offered courses of action, from naming a designated driver to calling a parent.
The State Attorney’s Office in Monroe County prosecutes about 3,000 DUI cases a year. DUI offenders under 21 go through the adult prosecution process. A DUI on a driver’s record affects everything from insurance rates to the ability to get certain jobs.
“The mock crash scene and community speakers are a realistic way to share the dangers of driving impaired with our students,” said Laura Lietaert, Coral Shores principal, adding that the school’s priority is safety. “We are grateful to our community partners for their support and involvement in this event.”
Among the participants and supporters of the mock crash were Wheaton’s Service Center and Towing, Allen-Beyer Funeral Home, Florida Highway Patrol, Islamorada Fire Department, Monroe County State Attorney’s Office, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, FWC, Islamorada Fire Rescue, Coral Shores Drama, Coral Shores Leadership, Coral Shores Cosmetology, Coral Shores Video Productions, Guidance Care Center, and Wood Campbell, the performing arts center manager.
