St John ambulance team manager Gavin Weastell (left) and
Willowbank firefighter Mark Leonard (right) carry Bayfield
High School pupil Emily Robertson from a mock car accident
in the school car park yesterday. Photo by Peter McIntosh.
A 17-year-old Bayfield High School pupil was killed
instantly and three others were seriously injured following a
car crash involving a drunk driver in the school's car park
yesterday - a harrowing experience for all those watching the
mock exercise.
The incident was aimed at highlighting the dangers of
drinking and driving.
It was a grisly scene in which emergency services worked to
free five girls from a smashed-up Mitsubishi, using the jaws
of life.
About a third of the school's pupils were alerted to the mock
crash during their lunchbreak by police, fire and ambulance
sirens.
Bayfield High School assistant principal Caroline Doole said
the incident was planned by members of the school's Students
Against Driving Drunk (Sadd) committee, but no other pupils
were aware of the planned accident until it happened.
"This was a complete surprise for the school. The initial
impact was quite big.
"The idea was that if we used their own peers to play the
drunk driver and victims in the crash, it would have more of
an impact on the students," she said.
A single beer bottle rolled out of the car as the doors and
roof were cut off.
Many pupils watching became uneasy as a white sheet was
placed over a well-known pupil at the school, Audrey Morgan
(17), who played the role of the front-seat passenger who was
killed instantly.
Bayfield High School pupil Patrick Lepine (17) said he had a
restricted licence and the exercise had taught him and his
friends a very graphic and memorable lesson.
"It was pretty eye-opening to see what one crash can do.
"When you see accidents on the news, it's censored. But when
you see it like this, it really hits home how graphic it is.
"It's taught me drinking and driving don't mix."
Audrey and the four other Sadd committee pupils who played
roles in the accident, Emily Robertson (16), Katie Willis
(17), Alex Bradley (17) and Abby Te Kawa (17), will follow up
yesterday's exercise by remaining silent tomorrow for the
entire school day.
Katie said it was designed to show their fellow pupils what
it would be like if they had all died in the crash and they
were no longer around to talk to.
john.lewis@odt.co.nz
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