Whispers of weekend disasters spread through city streets. Headlines of the tragic decisions span news programs. Teenagers are countlessly warned of the grim consequences. But today, Edina High School juniors and seniors had the chance to witness, for themselves, the true devastation of driving under the influence.  

This morning, EHS thespians partnered with the Eagan Fire department and local police force to put on the mock crash – a vivid and dramatic recreation of a drunk driving accident scene. This demonstration takes place every other year.

From the moment the scene started to the very end, the experience was surreal, absorbing all those watching. The horrified face of the girl, screaming as she struggled to free herself from the wreck still stands clear in my mind. The distressed voice of the father, choking as he knelt by his child lying on the pavement still rings in my ears. Seconds really did seem like hours. Four minutes in, the first police officers started arriving. By minute six – a seeming eternity – paramedics, the fire department, and more officers had joined the scene, giving as much support as they could. All these resources for a poor decision that was made earlier. As the police assessed the accident, the chief described the overwhelming devastation felt by both the victims and officers. Unfortunately, this is no unique incident.

Before all our eyes, a tragic parallel was drawn as the lives of two families drastically changed for the worse. As one mother watched her child get into an ambulance, and her other lying dead on the pavement, another got to receive a phone call informing her that her child was in jail. For homicide. By the end of the recreation, with the funeral services driving the bodies away, the fear and pain had become too real, amplified over all the students.

After the crash, a woman who was directly impacted by drunk driving took the time to share her story of how she lost her daughter in such an accident. I hope that hearing first hand how easily lives can slip away at such careless choices helped the students understand the significance of staying off the road when under the influence, as I know I did mine. I hope that they will be the ones brave enough to call their parents asking for a ride home at four in the morning. Because in no world is it fair for someone to die at another’s mistake. As spoken by senior Gabe Brosius in an incredible concluding poem, “I didn’t drink and drive mom, so why am I to die?”

A huge thank you goes out to the Edina Thespians for having put on such a moving performance. Moving forward, I hope students will take today’s scene to heart, keeping their safety and that of others in mind, especially as we get closer to homecoming weekend.

Gallery • 6 Photos

photo by Nate Saunders