After keeping the details of the outdoor student assembly under wraps, Salisbury High School administrators and teachers accompanied students to the front lawn and parking lot at the school early morning May 22, where they saw two motor vehicles tangled together in a mock accident.

Students Against Drunk Driving advisor Tanya Kennedy set the scene as students stood quietly at the scene of the mock accident.

"The students who participate in SADD," Kennedy said, "are doing this to show what can happen and the consequences of anyone who makes bad choices and decides to drive while impaired. They don't want anyone here to make the mistakes that can lead to this kind of situation."

Four members of the school's SADD chapter were in the wreckage, acting as the three injured victims and the impaired driver in the simulated accident, hoping to provide fellow classmates with a memorable lesson of the possible consequences of driving while impaired as the students prepared for prom activities later that day.

SHS senior Teddy Denver was lying partially ejected from the vehicle as he portrayed the "deceased" victim.

Makenzie Groff, who was given and "failed" a field sobriety test administered by Salisbury Police Department officer Jason Laky, was arrested, handcuffed and taken into custody as the impaired driver of one of the vehicles.

Junior Matthew Fainor and senior Olivia Werkheiser portrayed an injured driver and passenger in a second vehicle.

Patrol units from the Salisbury Police Department were first on the scene of the mock accident and immediately called for help from first responders with Eastern and Western Salisbury fire departments who were cooperating in the scenario and were staged at Eastern Salisbury Fire Department headquarters on Emmaus Avenue.

Also summoned were two ambulances from St. Luke's University Health Network and a medevac helicopter from the Lehigh Valley Health Network.

After it was determined there was a "fatality" involved, the Lehigh County Corner's Office dispatched Senior Deputy Coroner Eric Minnich to the scene.

ESFD and WSFD firefighters used hydraulic rescue tools to cut away the roofs of both vehicles to allow personnel to remove the victims from the wreckage.

EMS workers administered first aid and stabilized the "victims" for transport by ambulance and helicopter to St. Luke's and Lehigh Valley Health Network emergency facilities.

Salisbury School Superintendent Dr. Randy Ziegenfuss, who was on hand to observe the event, said the mock accident "was entirely realistic. We are very fortunate to have the police department and the first responders here who have provided such a realistic experience."

SHS freshman Joey Galantini said the mock accident was "a real eye-opener. I think it makes us students want to be smarter on the road tonight [during the prom], and every night."

Even though this was the third time many of the participants were involved with the mock accident simulation over the years at the high school, one of the firefighters said, "it never gets any easier. Even though you know it's not 'real,' it's hard to see 'our kids' in these kind of circumstances."

For parents, especially, the mock accident portrays the worst of what they hope never happens close to home.