The jaws of life and a medevac helicopter emergency landing were demonstrated to Yorkville High School students to show – when it comes to drunk driving – just one bad decision can shatter an entire community.

Participating students said they hope the demonstration “shocks” their fellow students into making safe decisions.

A mock prom accident event was held for junior and senior students on April 29 on the high school’s campus.

Several students played characters in a serious drunk driving accident reenactment in a shattered and wrecked car, wearing prom attire and bloody makeup to helped convey the scene.

Yorkville School District 115 teamed up with the Bristol Kendall Fire Protection District, the Yorkville Police Department, LifeStar Air Medical Transport, and the Kendall County Coroner’s Office.

With sirens blaring, police and fire vehicles rushed to the scene of the staged crash. Around 900 students huddled around to catch a glimpse behind the scenes of a tragedy that happens all too often with teen drivers.

Students trapped inside the crumpled car had to be freed by first responders. Some were taken away on a stretcher as first aid was demonstrated to the students.

Flying in from overhead, a medevac helicopter landed to demonstrate the drastic life-saving tactics that often have to be deployed.

Assistant Fire Chief Scott McCarty said the event was designed to leave a lasting impression on the community.

“We wanted to make an impact on the students to encourage them to make great decisions this prom and to know what’s right and what’s wrong,” McCarty said. “We hope this showed them that if they make a poor decision, this ultimately could be the consequences.”

McCarty said the LifeStar Air Medical Transport demonstration helped show how serious an extrication incident is. He said people pinned in cars after a crash are flown to the closest level one trauma center, Good Samaritan Hospital in Downer’s Grove.

“We do that because they likely have severe internal injuries and they often need that surgical intervention within an hour of the injury,” McCarty said.

Covered in pretend blood makeup, students Madi Gordon and Emma Binge said after their participation they hope the demonstration resonated with their fellow students.

“Everybody treats prom like it’s just a fun event, but to see that your actions can have consequences (hopefully) really shocked them,” Binge said. “I hope it shocks them in the right way and that they make the right decisions.”

Both students gave a shoutout to the expert makeup artist, Tamara Eaton, Yorkville Middle School’s drama teacher and theater director.

Gordon said it was personally impactful getting into makeup and being able to act as a character and “getting first-hand experience of what it’s like to be a victim in these scary situations.”

She said she was interested in seeing how the incident transpired with first responders because she is trying to become a firefighter.

McCarty said of the six student participants, four are currently in the fire science or emergency medical services courses at Indian Valley Vocational Center.

He said the coursework is a great option for Yorkville students beginning a career path as a firefighter.

Megan Steben, Yorkville High School dean of students, said the participation by multiple agencies helps highlight the great partnerships in the community and huge support for the students.

She said some students might pursue careers in those fields after seeing the life-saving impact they make.

“I think you don’t really know the seriousness until you’ve seen it happen,” Steben said. “To see it happen in a real situation is dramatic. This is a good opportunity for our students to understand the severity and the impact to everyone around. I hope they can now see the impact of theirs and their friends’ choices and how it effects the community.”

School Resource Officer Jacob Schwartz said prom students should encourage their friends to make safe driving decisions.

“This event is about keeping our kids safe,” Schwartz said. “Prom can be a night of memories and this is designed to give them the clear understanding that one bad choice could have life altering consequences. We want them to enjoy prom, make good memories and look out for one another.”