Ponce de Leon's Prom Promise 2009 Mock Wreck

PONCE DE LEON – Mock wrecks are becoming synonymous with prom preparations as Ponce de Leon High School held their Prom Promise 2009 mock wreck the morning of April 17 in front of the school.

A crowd of 150 students watched scenes consisting of two cars, a bike and several teenage bodies entangled to portray the highly possible results of driving under the influence of alcohol.

The event was put on by Pine Log VFD, Westville VFD, Ponce de Leon VFD, Argyle VFD, Holmes County EMS, Holmes County Sheriff’s Office, David Watkins Funeral Home of DeFuniak Springs, and AirHeart III out of DeFuniak Springs. Vehicles were donated by Slay’s Salvage in Leonia. Coordinator was Douglas Remmel.

“Thanks for everyone that participated and made it possible,” Remmel said.

Mark Moulton, firefighter with Ponce de Leon Fire Rescue explained that teenagers to young adults often are incapable of realizing their own mortality.

“When you’re young you think you’re invincible and your car is a tank,” said Moulton. “When you’re young you don’t realize there’s no second chances,” he continued.

The purpose of this mock wreck Principal Buddy Brown explained, was to show the frequently cruel realities and consequences of driving under the influence of alcohol.

“The sad thing is, statistically, out of the 150 students watching the mock wreck, two of them will be buried in the next 10 years because of alcohol related accidents,” said Brown. “I’ve had to attend one too many of my student’s funerals and if there’s any way to help prevent it, I’m going to try it.”

Jeff Gentes, firefighter with the Ponce de Leon, explained that a wreck could affect anyone and everyone.

“It hits everybody; friends, family, neighbors,” said Gentes. “As a firefighter I know it tears you up to loose anyone after trying so hard to save them and you’ve got to realize you’re not God, you’re only human, but it doesn’t make the loss any more bearable.”

Brown said that the impact of a wreck on a community is several times more devastating to smaller communities.

“When you have a close-knit community like ours, everybody knows everybody, it’s hard not to,” he said. “So the affects of drinking and driving can and will be felt by all of us as a community.”

Student Tori Rushing played a convincing role of a student who went through a windshield and died and her mother, Lisa Rushing, played the role of a grieving mother.

“Doug asked me to participate,” said Lisa. “Especially since my daughter was going to be one of the victims that died.”

She said she was familiar with the part of a grieving parent because she had lost a child once before and knows the pain involved.

“It’s hard for parents who have teenagers because you want them to go out to prom and have a good time, but you want to know they’re going to be safe,” she said. “And if they’re going to drink, call for a ride home, because I know parents would rather pick them up from a friend’s house then have to pick them off of the road.”

Brown said it had been his policy for a very long time to encourage his students to call him if they find themselves in a situation where they had been drinking and needed to go home.

“I’m not going to judge you,” he said. “I’ll take you home and we’ll work something out.”

He explained that no matter what, he wanted to assure his students that there would be someone there for them when needed.

“We want them to know that we care about them very much and are willing to do just about anything to make sure they stay safe,” he said, unable to hold back a tear. “I don’t want to have to attend any more of my students’ funerals.”

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