It’s a sobering sight: two cars have smashed into each other, several people are badly injured, a bleeding teenager lays sprawled on the hood of a car, firefighters respond to the scene. It looks frighteningly real, but today it’s only a demonstration designed to show high school students what can happen if they drive while intoxicated or distracted.
S.K.I.D., which stands for stop kids intoxicated driving, is a partnership between the Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and local law enforcement agencies, Metro West Ambulance, LifeFlight (medical air transport), local school districts, and the medical examiners’ office. The S.K.I.D. program is presented at high schools throughout TVF&R’s service area.
As hundreds of students sat in the stands today at Beaverton High School, a tarp was removed from the wreckage of two cars and the scenario began. A car full of teenagers had t-boned another car after drinking and running a red light. Many of those involved were injured.
As TVF&R’s crews arrived from Station 67, they triaged the situation and realized one of the teenagers – a passenger – was deceased. She had not been wearing her seat belt and was thrown through the front windshield. As they worked to treat multiple patients, law enforcement arrives and begins its investigation, ultimately arresting the teenage driver for DUI Manslaughter.
Lifeflight is needed to transport a critical patient. The powerful re-enactment deeply affects those who watch. As part of the program, counselors are standing by to help students process what they’ve just seen, and teachers go through a Q&A with the students right after the event.
S.K.I.D., which stands for Stop Kids Intoxicated Driving, is a partnership between Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, Washington County Sheriff, local law enforcement agencies, Metro West Ambulance, LifeFlight, and the medical examiners’ office. The program is presented just prior to homecoming and/or prom at high schools throughout TVF&R’s service area.
Since its inception in1998, over 70,000 high school students have attended a S.K.I.D. event. Organizers hope that by showing those thousands of students the consequences of driving drunk or distracted, kids will make better decisions.
You can see TVF&R’s S.K.I.D. video here:
To learn more about TVF&R’s community services events, click here.
