聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 A shriek, 鈥淵ou killed her!鈥� rung out on Tuesday, April 12, just north of G.F. Kells High School. 鈥淵ou were drinking and driving, and you killed her!鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Students of S.A.D.D. had set up a mock collision to emphasize the dangers of driving while intoxicated and distracted driving.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 As students exited the school to watch the scene unfold they were solemn realizing the wait for help feels like a very long time. Finally the sounds of sirens could be heard in the distance. The ambulance was the first to arrive, checking on the driver they found he had a few scrapes and scratches, but had come away relatively unscathed. A backseat passenger that was able to get out of the car from the driver鈥檚 side was frantically yelling and screaming at the driver.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 EMS worked their way to the other side of the car where a deceased passenger was pulled from the car and a blanket laid over them. The Fire Department then arrived on the scene, while RCMP and a second ambulance followed closely behind.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 As the driver was arrested by police, the rest of the emergency crew set to work on extracting the pinned passenger, which included the Jaws of Life. As the Fire Department set to work removing the roof of the vehicle the pinned passenger was covered with a blanket and comforted by one of the EMT鈥檚 on the scene. Eventually they were able to remove the individual and place them on a stretcher.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Josh Brown, a student at G.F. Kells and member of S.A.D.D., played the part of the mock collisions driver. When asked about how playing the part affected him that morning he explained, 鈥淚t was scary. It might be made up, but it puts you in that position. It鈥檚 hard to think about being in that situation and you realize how real it is, that it can happen to anyone, and I never want to really be in that situation.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The students headed to the gym for a short presentation regarding the scene they had just witnessed. However, in reality emergency crews could be out there for much longer, Staff Sergeant Darren Simons explained that he has spent eight hours at a scene before which could include searching for passengers ejected from the vehicle, waiting for the construction specialists, and more.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭hat was quick,鈥� Staff Sgt. Simons stated. 鈥淚t usually takes a lot longer and there are usually curve balls thrown at you when you鈥檙e dealing with a scene. As a police officer we鈥檙e responsible for arresting the accused and then protecting the accused because people often are so angry they want to hurt them. Then we also have to protect the crime scene, a criminal investigation is held which can take two to three hours for the reconstructionists to investigate and nothing gets moved until they see it. Eight hours is the longest I鈥檝e been at a scene and the fire department is there the entire time doing traffic control.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Staff Sgt. Simons explained that his first experience involving someone who had been drinking and driving occurred when he was approximately 17-years-old: 鈥淚 was still in high school and half of my cousin鈥檚 basketball team was killed by a drunk driver. It was 3:30 in the afternoon and he had side swiped the team鈥檚 vehicle and put it into another vehicle. The rest of the team had arrived at their destination, but were told their other teammates wouldn鈥檛 be coming. And on Monday, my science partner didn鈥檛 show up, I realized that I would never see him again.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Being emergency personnel comes with memories that can鈥檛 be erased, which is often made worse in a small town as volunteer fire fighters and Staff Sgt. Simons said. Oftentimes in small communities the emergency responders know the individual, which makes it very difficult to work the scene.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he most difficult part for me is going and knocking on a door or ringing a bell,鈥� Staff Sgt. Simons stated. 鈥淚t鈥檚 tough to tell someone that they鈥檝e lost a loved one.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Cst. Jeff Smoliak added, 鈥淭here鈥檚 no build up to a collision, it happens very quickly. And speed, what you saw out there was nothing compared to on the highway with a car versus a semi or a car versus a car. The human body is extremely frail and even an airbag going off will hurt you.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Zach Brown, an EMT, explained that in Carlyle there are two ambulances available, but in the event of a collision it could take time for resources to become available as one ambulance could be out on a call already and a second ambulance may have to travel from another community. There鈥檚 the time waiting for their arrival on the scene, transportation to the hospital, and then as needed transportation through STARS, Air Ambulance, or the drive to Regina.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t鈥檚 dangerous for us to be out there as well,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e often working along the side of the road before anyone has shown up to control traffic, so if you see us out there please be careful and slow down.鈥�
