Rock Rapids, Iowa — If you were in Rock Rapids Monday morning, April 20th, you may have wondered what all the sirens and the helicopter were about.
Normally those sounds would mean a tragic incident had probably taken place. In this case the idea was to hopefully prevent a tragic incident. Central Lyon High School students have their prom this coming weekend, and according to Lyon County Sheriff Stewart Vander Stoep, Monday’s event was a mock accident to teach teens the dangers of driving while intoxicated and driving distracted.
Vander Stoep tells us how the ball got rolling for the mock accident.
He says Central Lyon teachers, staff, and administrators played a major role as well. Vander Stoep says they brought in two vehicles, one from Lems Auto Recyclers in Doon, and one that had been donated to the fire department a while back. The accident vehicles were pre-set and then draped with a tarp, he says.
The Sheriff says when responders arrived, they went through the process as if it were a real accident.
He tells us about the reaction from students and staff.
Vander Stoep says after the accident, the students went back inside the school. A short time later, they heard some speakers talk about the dangers of alcohol and the dangers of distracted driving.
Central Lyon’s prom is this Friday night, April 24th.
Photo credit: Arden Kopishke/Lyon County Emergency Management
Thanks to Rock Rapids Fire Chief Ed Reck for forwarding them.
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Posted by Lyon County Daily News on Monday, April 20, 2015
