One student was dead on impact, lying on the hood of a car. Another lay lifeless next to a second car, while two other students were walking around the scene, dazed and confused. All these students had been travelling in a car hit by another vehicle driven by a drinking teen. The students in the drinking car had only a few minor cuts and bruises.
It was a horrifying scene, one that has been played out countless times on roadways across this province for years. This scene was not real, thankfully, but who knows the next time?
The students at Chatelech Secondary School should be commended this week for creating this mock accident scene to help drive home the dangers of drinking and driving. The acting students from Grade 10 to 12 took their roles seriously and did their best to show what can happen if you make a bad choice - namely having a few drinks, then getting behind the wheel.
The scene was particularly powerful for the student body who got to witness the accident scene first-hand in the school parking lot. First responders from the Sunshine Coast RCMP, paramedics and Sechelt fire department also played their part as they treated it as a real accident scene, which really drove home the point -if you drink, don't drive.
And the message could not have been timelier with the school year drawing to a close and graduation preparations on the Coast in full swing.
This sobering message is one for all our grads to take to heart. Graduation should be a time of joy and celebration. It should be one of the most important and memorable moments in your lives. Celebrate, but do so responsibly, and make the right choices.
And we adults can also learn a thing or two from these young people. This mock accident scene could have involved adults in the same tragic scenario. We too have to make the right choices and leave the keys at home when we're out drinking.
Miracle dog
Our hearts our overwhelmed this week by the story of Miracle May, a toy poodle who was rescued by the staff at Shorncliffe and the Sunshine Coast SPCA after she was dropped from the sky by a bird of prey.
Scooped up one day earlier this month, it is a miracle that the dog survived. Thanks to the outpouring of support from the community, May will receive all the medical care she needs to have a speedy recovery. Her story is amazing, and we're thankful it will have a happy ending.
