By Jessica Walsh
Staff Writer

The Performing Arts Center went black, and the student body comprised of seniors and juniors fell silent. The stage lights illuminated a scene of four students who had just been involved in a drunk driving accident. Three students were injured, and one had been killed. The mock accident, staged by Students Against Destructive Decisions, hoped to shock students, and keep them away from alcohol and drugs.

The end of the year is an exciting time for juniors and seniors. Juniors have the cotillion, and seniors have prom and graduation. This exciting time can also be a deadly time, and SADD hopes to drive this point home.

“It’s a reminder to have fun but celebrate responsibly,” said SADD coordinator, and computer science teacher Anjli Trehan.

SADD stages the mock accident every other year. The purpose of this is to ensure that every student gets to see it, but only once. Trehan said that if a student views the mock accident two years in a row, it loses its impact.

The mock accident team receives strong community support each year. This year, SADD received support from the Westford Police and Fire Department, Sully’s Autobody donated the car, as well Healy’s Funeral Home. All of these organizations are instrumental in organizing the mock accident.

The mock accident is one of SADD’s biggest event, the other being the Semi-formal dance. Trehan said that it takes approximately three months to plan the accident out.

This year’s mock accident faced some unique challenges. For one, an April Fool’s Day snowstorm forced SADD to hold the mock accident inside for the first time since the mock accident was incorporated in 2001. Because of the new venue for the accident, the actual car was replaced by a backdrop of an image of a destructed car. Also, the vehicles for the fire department, police department, and funeral home, were not on stage.

This year was also the earliest that SADD has ever conducted the mock accident. Usually the accident is held in early May according to Trehan. SADD wanted to ensure that all seniors leaving on internships would be able to see this important message.

Another unique challenge SADD faced was finding actors to play the part of accident victims. Usually, SADD will recruit theater members to play the roles, however, most of the members of the theater department were in Boston for competition, so SADD had to broadcast on the announcements to find members.

Despite these challenges, SADD was focused on staging the mock accident. In the past, the mock accident has been an effective tool is encouraging students to stay away from alcohol and drugs. According to Trehan, there have been instances in the past where students get so emotional that they have to leave the area.

“You don’t need alcohol or drugs to have a good time,” said Trehan.

Images courtesy of SADD