Mock Crash at DHS[/caption]
Educating Student Drivers
Sirens blared as a State Trooper vehicle arrived on St. Mary's Dominican High School parking lot where two cars were staged to show the aftermath of a head-on collision. Student actors, in the roles of drivers and passengers, reenacted the immediate aftermath of a crash when drivers and passengers are injured. The audience of sophomores, juniors and seniors watched quietly from the campus lawn as personnel from University Medical Center, Louisiana State Police, New Orleans Emergency Medical Services, and Orleans Parish Coroner's Office took their respective roles in the Mock Crash for the purpose of education and the importance of responsible behavior when operating a vehicle. Master Trooper Daryl Thomas gives a mock field sobriety test to St. Mary's Dominican High School senior Carlin Dougherty's who is part of a Mock Crash reenactment at the school. [caption id="attachment_4123" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Master Trooper Daryl Thomas[/caption]
In 2015, over 10,000 teens were injured in crashes across Louisiana alone
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among teens across the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control, teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are nearly three times more likely than drivers aged 20 and older to be in a fatal crash. In 2015, over 10,000 teens were injured in crashes across Louisiana. For over 19 years, the Louisiana State Police and University Medical Center Level 1 Trauma Center have teamed up to prevent teen fatal and injury crashes in the Sudden Impact Program. A November 18 Mock Trial on campus will address the lifetime of impact. Several individuals will be called to "testify" throughout the trial to the life altering consequences resulting from the poor decisions made on the night of the fatal crash. Throughout the course of the mock trial, students will be taught that impaired driving has lifelong consequences for all individuals involved, including their school, family, and community.Since 1860, St. Mary's Dominican High School has been a leader of Catholic education in the New Orleans region. The school's 156-year legacy is rooted in the tradition of prayer, study, community and service. These are the pillars of Dominican life and form the foundation for the Dominican student's experience.