It was about as real as it could get.
On May 23, the Jr./Sr. High School was the site of a mock distracted driving crash. The fictitious event was sponsored by the Oneida County STOP-DWI Program as part of its “No Empty Chair” campaign and ongoing teen traffic safety program, presented every year during prom season. 
Shortly after noon, students in grades 10-12 were called down to the school auditorium for a brief presentation detailing what to expect at the scene of the mock distracted driving crash. They were then dismissed from the auditorium and taken to the front parking lot of the Jr./Sr. High School, where the mock crash had just occurred and emergency crews were in the process of responding. After the mock crash, students were taken back to the school auditorium where they participated in a “debriefing” session with Oneida County STOP-DWI Coordinator David Tomidy, Oneida County Sheriff Rob Maciol and Oneida County Assistant District Attorney Stacey Scotti.
All stressed the importance of making good decisions, and the negative consequences that can result from poor decisions.
“It’s a tough, yet important message,” Kristen Muir, school social worker, said of the mock crash. “It’s so critical that our students understand the devastation distracted driving can cause, including the loss of life. The mock distracted driving crash is a powerful and visual reminder of how lives can be changed forever in a matter of seconds.”
The mock distracted driving crash included fatalities. The Westmoreland Volunteer Fire Department, Oneida County Sheriff’s Office and New York State Police responded. The following students participated in the mock crash as an actor/actress or make-up artist:
-Matthew Coyne
-Alia Effland
-Hailey Effland
-Hayden Johnson
-Kylie McGowen
-Justin Michaels
-Ashley Murphy
-Logan Strebing
-Tyler Wilczek
The “No Empty Chair” campaign is part of a larger, statewide effort to educate students on the dangers of impaired and distracted driving through school resource officers and sports team coaches. It also involves increased patrols by law enforcement agencies near local high schools enforcing violations of the Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) law. The GDL law is designed to give young drivers time to develop critical skills and experience in various traffic scenarios while limiting the number of passengers to reduce distractions.
On April 30, students in grades 10-12 participated in a “Teen Traffic Safety Education Program,” also presented by Oneida County.