NEW BLOOMFIELD, Mo. - New Bloomfield High School student Maddison Markland cried as she watched the fire department cover her friend with a blanket.
Alexandra Morningstar wasn't really dead, and both were participating as actors in Friday's mock crash. But the emotions were real, she said.
"Impactful is the word for me," Morningstar said.
The two seniors and other members of NBHS's Student Council arranged the live-action PSA, which warned their peers about the dangers of drinking while driving. Participating companies and agencies included Tow Pro, Maupin Funeral Home, the Callaway County Sheriff's Office, the Missouri Highway Patrol, Callaway County Emergency Medical Services, MU Health Care and the New Bloomfield Fire Protection District.
"We wanted to do this right around prom," Markland said.
Teen drunk-driving crashes tend to spike right around prom, she added. New Bloomfield's prom took place Saturday evening.
The students were inspired by a Missouri Department of Transportation-sponsored conference the Student Council attended over the summer. They've spent the year reminding peers to buckle up and drive safely. The mock crash was perhaps their crowning achievement, however, complete with wailing sirens, bloody makeup and a stop from a helicopter.
They even filmed a short video to show before the mock crash, setting up the narrative.
Lt. Curtis Hall, of the Callaway County Sheriff's Office, said the students and other participants created a believable scenario.
"It's about as realistic as you can get," he said. "We're just doing what we typically do during a crash."
Hall has responded to more fatal car accidents involving young adults than he cares to remember, he added. While drinking and driving is obviously dangerous, he sees more accidents caused by a variety of factors.
"Speeding is it," he said. "They're young, they get other kids in the car and they feel invincible."
Distractions such as phones and music also contribute, Hall said.
Freshman Maggie Sessler said the mock crash hit home.
"It was kind of scary, honestly," she said. "These are people I see but don't really talk to in the hallways, and seeing them dead is pretty scary."
She said she thinks seeing a scenario like this play out should be more effective than just hearing warnings.
That's NBHS principal Jeremy Davidson's hope as well. He praised the student participants and organizers for taking the initiative on the PSA.
"The kids did an amazing job," he said.