Teen Drunk Driving Prevention in Rockland County, NY

Two teenagers recently died in two separate DWI car crashes in Rockland County NY (see previous blog). In an effort to prevent more drunk driving accidents among students, officials organized a simulation of what a deadly DWI or DUI car crash looks like in reality.

Community emotionally hurt by two previous teen drunk driving deaths

The demonstration took place in the town of Clarkson where 16 year old Vlad Mosyuk died at the beginning of the month after getting in a car with his friend, 18 year old Alan Mendoza and another 17 year old girl. Alan was drunk behind the wheel and got involved in a three-car crash. Vlad died, the girl was seriously injured and the young drunk driver was charged with vehicular homicide, reckless driving and driving while intoxicated. The accident took place less than two weeks after another teen, Jacqueline Zangrilli died in a similar DWI accident in the nearby town of Montebello.

The two fatal DWI accidents moved the community and local officials decided something had to be done to prevent more teens from dying in similar circumstances. The firefighters and most EMTS are local volunteers and for them such accidents are emotionally devastating.

“There is nothing more devastating to us as a fire department when that person in the car is a teenager. So we are begging you not to drink and drive,” said New City fire volunteer Dave Wright.

Yesterday they all gathered with students and parents to create a live demonstration of what such accidents look like. Some of the students played the role of the victims while nurses, firefighters and cops demonstrated how dramatic such accident is in real life.

Students and parents attending the demonstration said that even though they knew it was fake, the demonstration was chilling.

The demonstration was filmed and a documentary will be created for parents and educators to watch with the children.

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