FHP Trooper Trisha Koon in the
Sante Fe High School DUI Mock Crash.

FHP Troop B recently participated in a DUI Mock Crash presented at Sante Fe High School in Alachua County, Florida. The Alachua County Community Traffic Safety Team, in which FHP Troop B is a member, planned and coordinated the events for months prior to presenting it to the Junior and Senior classes at Sante Fe High School.

DUI Mock Crash Scene at Sante Fe High School.

Members of the Sante Fe High School "Students Against Destructive Decisions" (SADD) were instrumental in coordinating Sante Fe High School students to cast an involved event such as the DUI Mock Crash. The Staff and Faculty at Sante Fe High School were extremely helpful in planning and coordinating this event, which was presented to the students in an attempt to curb underage alcohol consumption and other destructive decisions that lead to serious-injury and fatal traffic crashes.

Students at Sante Fe High School react
to realistic scenes during the DUI Mock Crash.

The Mock Crash was realistic as depicted by the facial expressions of the student audience. The students became extremely quiet as the Alachua County Fire Rescue Paramedics removed the lifeless body of the student actor that had been ejected onto the hood of one of the crash vehicles as a result of not wearing her seat belt. As the student's lifeless and blood-soaked body lay in the middle of the football field covered by a white blanket, her hand protruded from beneath it, exposing the bloodied bouquet of flowers on her wrist. As the funeral home placed the same student inside of a real black body bag, the message seemed to reach the audience.

FHP Trooper Trisha Koon delivers death notification
to family members as part of the script.

FHP Trooper Trisha Koon delivered the death notification to the family of the student crash victim. Tears could be seen in some of the student's eyes and others displayed somber facial expressions as the student's mother and father were notified that their daughter had been killed in an alcohol-related crash.

Student cast member plays part of fatality crash victim and
her lifeless body is removed by Evans-Carter funeral home.

In 2004, drivers 15-17 years of age were involved in 14,940 crashes in Florida. The same age group of teenage drivers was involved in 154 fatality crashes. Of the 14,940 crashes 255 involved alcohol and resulted in 12 of the 154 fatalities were teenagers that were under the influence of alcohol.

The DUI Mock Crash was made possible by many members of the Alachua Community and Law Enforcement Community in Alachua County. The Florida Highway Patrol encourages parents and guardians to educate their teenagers on the importance of making Wise Decisions and ARRIVE ALIVE!