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Teens told to stay sober for prom
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| By: Mark J. Crawford, Editor |
May 14, 2009 |
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Cheryl Brownlee reacts with panic and grief, playing the mother of a teen who was killed by a drunk driver.
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Prior to prom, a number of people worked together to influence Bradford County students to avoid deadly decisions that could cut their young lives short or put them behind bars.
The event was called Prom Promise and featured Paula Jones of Mothers Against Drunk Driving along with an anonymous guest who spoke about serving seven years in prison and the other consequences of killing someone while driving under the influence.
County Commissioner Lila Sellars also told students about the tragic night law enforcement knocked on her door and told her daughter had been killed in an alcohol-related accident.
As if those personal testimonies weren't enough to enlighten students, there was a very dramatic presentation. A mock accident and subsequent rescue unfolded right there on the football field for all to see.
It was a coordinated effort between the Bradford County Sheriff's Office (Sheriff Gordon Smith also had a word with students), Emergency Medical Services, Starke Police Department, the fire departments for Starke and Heilbron Springs, Florida Highway Patrol and Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
The elaborate demonstration even included landing the ShandsCair helicopter on the field to participate in the mock rescue.
The scene may have been well-choreographed fiction, but Cathey Pitt, mother of one of the students participating in the drama, said it was all too real. Her son, Brandon Fanning, portrayed a deceased victim of the accident. His character died instantly in the accident, his body thrown through windshield.
"I thought that it wouldn't bother me to see him dead because this was only a mock accident, but he played his part well and it made me think this could really happen. It was overwhelming, and when I looked at the other students, I could see they were affected by this," she said.
Pitt described the stadium as very quiet during the event, and said she wasn't the only one whose eyes filled with tears as the guest speakers told their stories.
But nothing could compare to seeing her son, still playing dead, placed in a hearse and driven away while the sheriff's office's Cheryl Brownlee, who portrayed his mother in the drama, reacted with grief.
"This is something I will never forget, and I hope the kids won't either," Pitt said.
Other students played roles in the mock accident in addition to Brandon, including Tremaine Harris as an injured passenger, Shanika Eiland as a critically injured patient, Frankie Krol as the drunk driver, Jeff Norman as the grim reaper, Cody Johnson as a volunteer firefighter and Barrett Cooper as the critically injured passenger in need of the life flight.
Ray Shuford with the Bradford County Sheriff's Office also participated in the scene, as did Lonnie Olive of Jones Funeral Home.
Others who helped out included T&M towing and Thompson's Garage. Donna Norman took photos for the sheriff's office. Coordinating the event was Deputy Sherry Mann, who is the high school resource officer, and Joel Keough, a paramedic with Bradford EMS.
Thank you to Sherri Mann and Cathey Pitt for assistance with this story.
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©Bradford County Telegraph 2010
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