Students of North Mahaska High School witnessed the results of a bad decision Wednesday as members of the senior class and Erica Groom’s classes held a mock accident as sophomores, juniors and other seniors observed.
Groom and Mahaska County Sheriff Deputy Ben Johnston coordinated the event. The two were part of the event when they were students at North Mahaska. They put on the event to highlight the possible results of drunk driving and distracted driving. Two students “died” in the incident while others were injured or had life altering injuries.
“I’ve probably have done 20 or so of these plus the one I was in in high school,” said Johnston. “It is important for students to see this. I am glad to be a part of it.”
Once students had gathered, sound effects alerted the students to a crash, students came out of the pickup stumbling around as a 911 call went out. The incident was between a pickup and small car and included ejections from the vehicle. One student, Trenton Hol, was dead at the scene. Another, Moriah Stout would die at the hospital.
Senior Joel DeJong was the “driver” of the pickup and after a sobriety test was arrested by New Sharon Police officer Emily Lawler. He was handcuffed and placed into the back of the squad car. Later, he appeared in jail garb to speak about the choices he made to drive drunk and then text.
North Mahaska Communications
Students acted out a mock accident at North Mahaska on Wednesday. The event highlighted the results of impaired driving and lack of seat belt use.
“It was fun acting out, but it got serious,” said DeJong. “Being cuffed was a bit scary.”
His mother Tonya was in the crowd and observed her son being arrested.
“It was difficult to watch,” said DeJong. “Just glad to see him afterward.”
Students also saw firefighters cutting open a car to get a person out and the funeral home placing the bodies into a body bag.
Students became emotional “at the funeral” as they read prepared comments about their boyfriend, classmates and friends. Tears fell as one by one they talked about what happened. Even though the incident was fake, the emotions were not.
Kayla Readshaw tearfully relates the loss of her boyfriend while Ava Pickard and Madison Hol console each other. While the event was fake, the emotions of the students was not.
“I just want to thank everyone involved and for their help,” said Groom. “The kids involved did a great job of keeping their “roles” quiet and not letting anyone outside our group know who was doing what and that helped make this event even more impactful. I look forward to making this a new tradition at North Mahaska and hope I can help make an impact on someone’s life to help save others’ lives.
“Thank you to the administration and school board for approving us to do this extremely important even. Thank you to the all the volunteers, Ben Johnston and the Mahaska County Sheriff’s Office; Don DeKock, Kevin Lamberson, Emily Lawler, New Sharon Fire and Ambulance crews, Outer Limits Truck Repair, Holland-Coble Funeral Home; Ms. Molly Ray for the make-up; Musco for printing our brochures; Ryan Groom for the crosses; Hy-Vee Floral for the casket arrangement; and anyone else I hope I’m not missing. This event could not have happened without all of you.”
As students were preparing to leave the site, a New Sharon firefighter shared in his 40-plus years of service he had gone on too many of incidents in which an impaired driver was involved. He too, teared up talking about seeing young people’s lives taken too soon.
As prom, graduation and summer approaches, it s hopeful this incident may help students rethink what they are doing if they are thinking of drinking and driving. No one died and no one was injured in this event, but the reality set home for many as they watched the events unfold.