Crunching metal. Shattering glass. A peaceful morning, suddenly turned chaotic. Bloodied students lay sprawled on the pavement in a scene that was both terrifying and heartbreaking–but no one was actually hurt.
The fatal crash was staged for juniors and seniors at Capistrano Valley High School as a stark lesson on the dangers of drinking and driving.
The simulation brought together the Orange County Fire Authority, Orange County Sheriff’s Department, California Highway Patrol, Falck Ambulance, Mission Hospital and O’Connor Mortuary to demonstrate a real-world emergency response.
OCFA fire captain/paramedic Steve Concialdi has been staging these sobering events for 35 years. As founder of Friends Against Drinking and Driving (FADD), Concialdi delivers a graphic reminder to teens in South Orange County about the potential consequences of drunk and distracted driving.
“This drunk driver’s life was changed forever, and so were the families of the students who died,” he says. “We’re hoping that by seeing the horrific result of someone else’s mistake, students who see the demonstration will make good decisions moving forward.”
“We live in a social society, where everywhere you go there’s alcohol involved,” Concialdi adds. “So it’s really about being smart, not drinking and driving or getting in the car with someone who’s been drinking. Just plan ahead by designating a sober driver or taking Lyft or Uber.”
