Are teens getting the message?
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Janesville Fire Department personel move an "injured" Amber Nemetz away from the scene of a mock accident at the rear of Parker High School on Monday. The accident was presented as a way to convince the student body to stay sober and safe during the upcoming prom season.
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The covered "body" of the victim of a mock traffic accident lies in full view of Parker High School students on Monday. The accident was staged in an effort to convince the students to remain sober and safe in the upcoming prom season.
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Lindsey Whitescarver is escorted by police away from the scene of the mock accident presented at Parker High School on Monday. Whitescarver was playing the role of an impaired driver in the accident which killed one.
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The Parker High School staff and students that helped present a mock traffic accident on Monday wore shirts with messages on them based on a recent advertising campaign.
JANESVILLE — They staged an impressively detailed car crash: police, paramedics, a hearse, a helicopter and student actors playing victims.
They staged a mock funeral.
They even brought in a former student to tell how he had driven drunk in 2005 and killed another human being.
That was Monday morning.
But will Parker High School students still drink when they go to prom on Saturday?
“I’d say 60 percent,” said junior Fred Hewitt.
Junior Nathan Woodworth figured it will be more like eight out of 10 students.
“It’s not just prom. It’s every weekend for most of these kids,” Nathan said.
Danny King, 23, knows all about high school drinking. He started while a Parker sophomore. Four years later, he was driving home from a night of drinking and crashed head-on into a car carrying four people.
One of those people died. An 18-year-old girl. King choked up as he told hundreds of Parker students what he had done.
His life will never be the same, he said, but that’s nothing compared with the family of the girl he killed.
“There wouldn’t be anything I wouldn’t do to trade places with her,” he said, sounding as though he meant it.
King talked first to the juniors and seniors, then to the freshmen and sophomores. These were his first public speeches since getting out of jail in February, he said.
King was not completing a community service requirement. He volunteered when Parker social worker Stacy Nemetz called.
King’s nightmare started with beer pong and then a trip to a Whitewater bar with a borrowed ID, “just thinking about myself, just thinking I was pretty much untouchable,” he said.
He was nearly home on an Afton Road curve when he crossed the centerline. He believes the girl died instantly.
“And all because I wanted to be cool and wanted to be a hot shot,” he said.
Being popular was his goal at Parker, so he drank, he said.
One teacher recalled that King was one of the most popular kids in school.
King said he started drinking whenever he ran into difficulty.
“No one had any idea of my drinking problem because I hid it.”
King was convicted of homicide by drunken driving. He spent a year in jail.
“I’m a felon, now,” he said.
Under the terms of his probation, he could be sent to prison for 12 to 25 years if caught drinking, he said.
He’s a bricklayer. He has a girlfriend, he said. He attends meetings to deal with his alcoholism. He goes to church, which helps.
But he stays out of public places such as the mall. He doesn’t want to face people, to risk being identified as a felon who killed someone.
“I don’t do anything anymore. I go to work. Go home. Play video games, and that’s my life,” he said.
“It’s horrible. I let so many people down,” he said. “Lied to people. Just so I could drink? … It’s so ridiculous. It’s not what you guys need in your life.”
His thoughts are with his victim and her family every day, but he knows he’ll never be able to make amends, and he understands how much that family must hate him, he said.
“She barely got to live her life, and I took it away, and that’s an extreme guilt I live with every day,” he said.
King pleaded with students: “Being sober is the coolest thing to do. … One night of drinking is not worth somebody’s life.”
Senior Maddie Adams thought 60 percent or 70 percent of students drinking on prom night sounded about right, although she thought King might have an impact because he is so close in age to the students.
“It was good to hear, but I don’t think it’ll change a lot of people’s decisions,” said senior Eleni Andreakos.
“I think the people who are drinking every weekend are the ones who are going to be drinking at prom,” Eleni said. “The kids that are on the edge—they might not” because of Monday’s experience. “But the others, they’re just going to think they’re smarter than everyone else.”
Social worker Nemetz told the juniors and seniors that the idea was to have a safe and sober prom, “but it doesn’t just stop with that. There’s graduation coming up, and there’s just another weekend night coming up, and we want everyone to be as safe as possible.”
Senior Andrew Cook thought just 20 percent to 25 percent of his class would drink on prom night, but he agreed Monday’s lessons wouldn’t have much effect:
“People who are gonna—their minds are pretty much made up.”
PROM DATES
These are the dates of upcoming proms at area high schools:
-- Saturday, April 26—Albany, Brodhead, Orfordville and Parker.
-- Saturday, May 3—Elkhorn, Lake Geneva Badger.
-- Friday, May 9—Big Foot.
-- Saturday, May 10—Craig, Evansville, Milton and Whitewater.
-- Saturday, May 17—Edgerton.
DRINKING PREVALENCE
Drinking is prevalent among Janesville High School students, according to a survey administered four months ago by the Search Institute and commissioned by Rock County Partners in Prevention:
-- Thirty-five percent of sophomores and 54 percent of seniors reported drinking more than once in the previous 30 days.
-- Twenty-four percent of sophomores and 37 percent of seniors at Parker and Craig high schools reported getting drunk at least once in the previous two weeks.
-- Thirty-two percent of seniors said they had driven drunk at least once in the previous year.
-- About 40 percent of sophomores said they had ridden with a drunken driver in the previous year.
-- Twenty-five percent of seniors said it was against their values to drink while in their teens.
Apr 23, 2008 at 10:53 a.m.
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i go to Parker & I thought the mock car crash was interesting but i really don't believe its' going to have much affect. Most kids dont just drink on prom night or graduation,most kids that I know at least drink every single weekend and make it their "mission" to find a place to drink.
i really think something dramatic will have to happen for real to get things into high schooler's heads.
Apr 23, 2008 at 9:11 a.m.
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I saw this article this morning on MSNBC:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24262192/
Now there's a category that Wisconsin should be proud of. Being #1 of all the states in the US for percentage of people who drive drunk.
But what a surprise, considering the attitude that I see here by some people. Parents who think that just because they drank when they were teens, that their kids will do it too, and besides, it's not that bad.
1919eternal: that is an excellent idea. Make kids who get caught drunk driving go out with the Paramedics on a Friday or Saturday night and have them look at what it really DOES look like after an accident. It's not pretty.
I got to look at the crime scene photos of the accident caused by a drunk driver who hit my sister's car head on. Unbelievable the carnage that was caused. This year marks the 20th anniversary of my sister's accident. TWENTY years of "living" in a nursing home in a persistent vegetative state. That's a lot longer sentence than anyone in Wisconsin will see in prison after their 10th DUI and killing someone.
Parents, it's time to stop being your kids' "buddies" and start being their parents! I hope you won't end up like my parents, who are in their 70's now and STILL go visit their child (and my sister) on a daily basis in a nursing home. Just stop for a minute and think what that might be like. THEN go tell your kids to have fun on Prom night *wink, wink*
Apr 22, 2008 at 11:05 p.m.
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I agree with diamond back, who posted first. The teaching starts at home. If you go out and get wasted or get wasted at home as an adult, chances are your kids are going to follow your lead.
Our kids need heros, heros who show them that having a good time and being able to remember it in the morning is "all the bomb!"
Parents who let their kids drink in their homes and hosts these parties are doing something illegal and need to be reported. They feel that they are their kids "buddies and friends."
I have worked with youth for over 20 years. I would rather a youth respect me and the way I live my life then to think I am their "buddy or friend."
Apr 22, 2008 at 10:58 p.m.
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deltafox, I apologize as I didn't see the little debate you had going on there.
Apr 22, 2008 at 10:54 p.m.
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dk122 makes perfect sense no matter how much others want to pick it apart.
deltafox, you make no sense.
Apr 22, 2008 at 9:16 p.m.
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dk122462- You said let's give rewards to the kids that comply with the rules ?? That may work IF parents/teachers/coaches etc. would admit that most/not all kids that are doing this are the honor...popular... non-trouble makers etc.When adults turn a blind eye to the actions of kids it does them no good !!!
Apr 22, 2008 at 9:14 p.m.
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dk1226...Yeah, just put your blinders on and go about your business...Make kids afraid of you, they won't drink then! Don't equip them, just tell them its wrong. Any other ideas how you can make a bigger rebellion issue than that?
Apr 22, 2008 at 8:37 p.m.
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I used to be on a local fire dept. here in Rock county for 7 years. I've picked up kids I went to school with, some a year behind me in school whos brains were smeared for what seamed to be hunreds of yards, there blood draining like a river down the road. Kids who got ejected from the vehicle then the vehicle rolled over them and pinned them under it. Why???? BECAUSE THEY DRANK and then drove!!! We did this same mock accident and some kids you could see it acctually sunk in, but lots said "it won't happen to me". Well guess what, thats the same thing some of the people said that were wrapped around trees at 3 O'clock in the morning. I wish there was a way to get highschool students into fire and rescue trucks so they could see it in real life!! Then maybe it will really sink in!!
Apr 22, 2008 at 8:25 p.m.
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the schools have been doing these mock accidents for years. why would it change now? kids don't listen.
Apr 22, 2008 at 8:17 p.m.
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deltafox5674 states "Please stay safe, if you have too much (any), stay put and call your parents. They might be mad at first, but they sure will get over that quicker than if you are dead."
This statement says it all why students are drinking. So many people advocate teenage drinking by saying "kids will be kids, they are going to do it so if you do it, do it safely" There are so many parents out there who take the stance that "I did it when I was a kid and I turned out okay" or "I can't tell my kid to not do something that I myself did because then I'm a hypocrite" that it makes it acceptable for everyone to get off the hook.
What a mixed message our young people are getting. The message should be: It is illegal to drink if you are not 21. It is not acceptable to break the law. It is not okay to "experiment" with your friends and then get bailed out of the situation because you made a bad, illegal decision. It doesn't matter what I did when I was a kid, it is now illegal for you to do it.
How about we teach our kids to make good, legal decisions? How about we take the time to build their confidence and self esteem so they don't feel the need to cave into peer pressure? This would do more to eliminate drunk driving by underage drivers than anything else. Let's make it not acceptable and not a "right of passage". Let's give students awards and attention for obeying the law and not drinking rather than glorifying them in news stories and feeling sorry for their bad decisions. How about some positive reinforcement by rewarding those who comply rather than those who don't? How about making it the norm to not drink than to drink? Makes sense to me.
Apr 22, 2008 at 6:46 p.m.
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I support the schools decision to have a mock crash, as an earlier poster stated, if it saves one life, it was well worth it. Please stay safe, if you have too much (any), stay put and call your parents. They might be mad at first, but they sure will get over that quicker than if you are dead.
Apr 22, 2008 at 6:27 p.m.
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Kids think they are invincible, and don't have the ability to cognitively think about long term effects of their actions. Yes, these mock crashes show something in real time, but unfortuneately, these mocks have been in practice for decades, and there are still teen drunk drivers. They just don't have the ability to think it will happen to them. That is where there brains are in development. Thank goodness that there are some very scared kids out there, and are afraid to get hurt or into trouble, and this keeps them safe. Please all be safe this prom season and the graduation season to come. Prayers to all.
Apr 22, 2008 at 6:24 p.m.
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Five dates listed for prom,12 schools. One person will die. Will it be you? Make wise choices.
Apr 22, 2008 at 5:03 p.m.
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Wow, Danny King graduated with my little brother. They were good friends and yes, they drank together. It scares me to think that could have been my brother that killed someone. It could be anyone and it happens so fast. Keep your heads on straight this weekend at prom!
Apr 22, 2008 at 3:22 p.m.
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In working in alcohol and drug prevention for the past 10 years, student's seem to remember the "gross" stuff like these mock car crashes.
Do they work? yes for some, no for others. If it made one kid think, then it did the job.
Stay Safe everybody!
Apr 22, 2008 at 2:34 p.m.
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Not charged as a juvenile she won't. She was wived into adult court, then waived back into juvenile court.
Her sentence will likely be a slap on the wrist- no license until she's 21- the sentence the Gazette reported was the one she would have faced had she been charged as an adult.
As a juvenile, this could be off her legal record by the time she's 21.
Apr 22, 2008 at 2:02 p.m.
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Hey attorney, get your facts straight before talking abut something you don't know anything about. The Hart girl did not get off scott free. She has a long road ahead of her yet in the court system.
Apr 22, 2008 at 1:29 p.m.
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Absolutely right gb1.
Shoot somebody and you will likely get whats coming to you, commit vehicular homicide and get off scot free like that guy that killed that woman on East Milwaukee Street.
Violent crime is acceptable as long as you use the politically correct weapon.
Apr 22, 2008 at 12:54 p.m.
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maybe if our judicial system was tougher and had more strict consequences for drunk driving and other laws, maybe it would make people think twice before committing a crime that on a first or second offense would result in a minimum 10 years or something along those lines. Instead you here of people with 6 or 7 drunk driving violations. What are they doing out free.
Apr 22, 2008 at 12:40 p.m.
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i am a student at parker and i think that the mock car crash was an excellent demostration. Maybe this will help teens stay safe and sober by seeing one of their friends, siblings, or classmate in a serious wreck! Hopefully this will show them that it COULD happen to you. I was reading another blog on this page that had that statement in there. I have heard one of my friends as well as myself say that, and by gosh it did happen. We might still be here but the wreck wasn't as bad as the demo. So when your parents say have a good time and stay safe LISTEN TO THEM. You prolly heard it a million times but that millionth time might be the last!
My mom told my step brother the same thing to him and his freinds and one of his friends is 6 feet under. All because he had ONE beer. Yes he didnt drive but some other guy had more than just one and he did chose to drive. So not only did my step brother lose a friend but people lost a son, brother, uncle,ect.
So everyone Have a good and SAFE Prom and i wish the best 4 everyone
Apr 22, 2008 at 12:31 p.m.
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"She got off scot free.
Acquitted.
Case dismissed.
Get drunk, high, party, kill someone, but if you are cute, white, and have the right parents, suffer nothing.
Doesn't hurt that the victims were Hispanic.
Way to go, Judge Carlson.
So gazette- are the kids getting the message?
Why should they? Look at the consequences suffered by Krystal- none."
Krystal did not get off without consequence. Her case was dismissed in adult court only to go to juvenile court and very well may be waived back in to adult court. Didn't you even read the story?
Apr 22, 2008 at 12:25 p.m.
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Attorneyatlarge, I'm not sure where you're getting your information from, but Krystal Hart has not gotten off scot free. Her case has been sent to juvenile court, but it's likely that it will be waived back into adult court. How do you figure the case is closed with no consequences?
http://www.gazettextra.com/news/2008/apr...
Apr 22, 2008 at 12:18 p.m.
Apr 22, 2008 at 12:08 p.m.
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speaking of, what ever happened to Krystal?
Apr 22, 2008 at 12:06 p.m.
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My daughter attended this yesterday and was really kind of shaken up about it. The part that bothered her the worst was when they put the deceased in the body bag. She said she knew it was fake but almost had tears. But I also told her it's not only the drunk driving that can kill, it's the use of cell phones and texting and being distracted by your friends while driving.
As far as King, we know what had happened but don't live your life in fear of what people think. Maybe you should talk with the family. There are so many people out there that are out of prison for intentionally killing someone, but that isn't your case, you did not intend on killing anyone, but it happened and I feel bad for the family. Ask them to attend your meetings with you. It may help.
To the Teens out there it really isn't worth it. I lost my best friend cause he and the driver were drunk. The driver lived but he has to live the rest of his life knowing he too killed his best friend. They were only a few minutes from home and thought they were going to be ok and in a matter of minutes or maybe even seconds it was over. I thank God everyday I have a daughter that does not go out and party and does not have friends that would ever encourage her to do so.
May God watch over each one of you this Prom and Graduation. Don't put your parents in that position to have to come and identify you at the morgue in your prom dress or tux. Please think before you drink!!!
Apr 22, 2008 at 11:39 a.m.
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Maybe Krystal Hart should talk to her class as well...I wonder if the teen drinking has gone down with her friends ?
Apr 22, 2008 at 11:29 a.m.
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You can
stage the most elaborate of accident scenes and it still wont drive home the point of how drunk driving will kill.
A)Most teens nowadays believe the same things most teens have believed since the beginning of time. "That Won't Happen To Me This One Time".
B)Lots of PARENTS host the pre- and post-prom parties. Some parents think it's okay for the drinking and the sex to go on as long as the kids aren't out doing it on their own. They host the parties at their homes or rent a block of hotel rooms and don't think for a minute this doesn't really happen. IT DOES.
I've seen parties where parents supply condoms, drugs, alcohol AND exotic dancers...for a Sweet Sixteen and for Graduation.
Not all kids are permissive and entitled. Not all kids are out of control and worthy of a trip to a daytime talkshow about bad kids. But sadly enough, most kids will have thought the staged accident was "cool"... just like a lot of the kids I went to school with thought when they saw fellow classmates playing dead in Goodwill prom clothes and fake blood.
You want to scare the kids straight? How about a tour of the ME's office after a REAL drunk driving accident. Maybe when they see the REAL deal... they'd think harder about drinking.
Apr 22, 2008 at 11:22 a.m.
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that WHITESCARVAR
Apr 22, 2008 at 11:21 a.m.
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Unfortunately, many teens have the same attitude King had while in high school. Nothing anybody says will ever change that because they're so worried about fitting in and being cool. There are always those who believe, not matter the statistics and speeches, nothing will happen when they drink and drive. I pray that I don't open the paper on Sunday and see a story about a drunk-driving death. I hope every parent talks to their teens about drinking, but I know that won't happen either. All we can do is educate them to the best of our abilities and hope they don't do something stupid and life-altering.
Apr 22, 2008 at 10:56 a.m.
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Are teens getting the message ???? Are PARENTS GETTING THE MESSAGE THAT IS THE TRUE QUESTION !!When our kids were in high school I couldn't believe ALL of the parents that would say that they would rather have their kids drink at home than go to a party with no adults to watch them ! It's NOT ok to give kids alcohol... theres a reason why we have a legal drinking age ! (21 NOT 14) Our kids are of legal age now and we still don't drink with them. Maybe Danny will someday forgive himself,never forget but forgive.It sounds that he may be on the right path.Lives can change in a second my heart gones out to all .
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