Drunk and distracted driving is a problem in every state in the country. Because of this, first responders held a mock crash scene on Thursday on the grounds of the Arizona State Capitol to raise public awareness.
KTAR reports that the mock crash that the mock crash was sponsored by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety and is part of the Arizona Distracted Driving Summit.
First responders worked with student actors to set the scene of a potential accident with injuries. Several other students were also on hand to observe the staged accident.
In the acted out scenario, there were two vehicles with a motorcycle pinned between them. One of the two drivers had been under the influence of alcohol while the other driver had been texting behind the wheel.
A Tweet from KTAR taken from the scene showed the students unveiling the mockup to reveal a realistic accident scene, complete with smoking engines and the body of a victim that required CPR.
Phoenix Fire Capt. Nicole Minnick told reporters that the students put together the exercise to raise public awareness. “When people see the impact of an accident this bad,” Minnick said, “maybe it would make them think twice about picking up their phone when they’re driving or getting behind the wheel after a couple of drinks.”
Also at the summit were empty chairs and photographs of those who had been killed by distracted drivers. One of those photographs was of Officer Clayton Townsend of the Salt River Police Department, who was killed by a driver who was allegedly distracted at the time.
The death of Officer Clayton prompted Governor Ducey to sign into law legislation that banned the use of cellphones while driving. The law begins on January 1, 2021.
