Police, Fire Department Reenact DWI Crash at High School [Video]

A week before prom, and as students head toward graduation and the summer break, Fort Lee seniors were shown a dramatic visual lesson in the dangers of drunk driving Friday morning.

Police, fire, and emergency personnel staged a reenactment of a fatal drunk driving accident in the high school parking lot, the senior class looking on as the emergency workers rescued student actors from the wreckage and arrested the responsible driver.

"Next week is the prom, so we wanted to make sure this was part of everybody's mind set," said Detective Jamie Cuevas, the school resource officer who organized the reenactment.

In the fictional accident, which, as police and fire officials reminded students, has played out in many real world scenarios, two students leave a party where they had been drinking. The drunk driver, texting and under the influence, collides head on with another vehicle, fatally sending a father of three through his windshield.

Although the driver survives the crash without injury, her best friend has also died in the passenger seat, and she is carted off in handcuffs to face criminal homicide charges for the two victims.

"We want them to see the dangers so when they're in the situation, they can make the right decisions," said Chief Keith Bendul, who added that although students should not be drinking underage, they should know that if they do there are other ways to make it home safely.

Inside, municipal court judge Matthew Fierro and defense attorney Albert Wunsch explained the long-term legal and financial repercussions that a drunk driving offense can have, including making it difficult to apply for professional licenses and pass background checks.

"These things have ripple effects, and they go forward and keep going forever," Wunsch told students gathered in the school's cafeteria.

Friday's event, vice principal John Coviello said, complements ongoing efforts by the faculty and administration to reach out to students about the dangers of drugs and drunk driving, efforts which usually get an extra push this time of year.

While the faux victims of the morning accident came back to life, and the responsible driver was released promptly from police custody, Cuevas reminded those watching that the fictional accident contained real lessons.

"I know this is a staged scene, but there's a hard truth behind it."

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