Car Crash in Randolph

Nick took the day off work to participate in the school's car crash. I decided to work from home so I could walk over to the school to watch my husband in action. It will probably be the only time I can watch him deal with an accident. The 7th through 12th graders gathered in the North Lot to watch what all goes on when kids drink and drive. I remember watching a similar scenario when I was a student at Burnsville High School. I got there just in time for the buses to reveal the hidden accident and the call from Empire Dispatch to all medics, troopers, sherrifs and the Randolph/Hampton Fire Department. Even though you know it is not a real accident, it was very hard listening to dispatch and all of the voices on the radio; the screams from the car. It didn't help that I was standing close to one of the speakers.

One victim was laying across the hood - pronounced dead at the scene.

A hearse was called to the scene.

 The roof of the car needed to be cut off to get the driver out and onto a backboard.

The Rochester Mayo One helicopter was called to the scene.

The body of the deceased teenager was covered in a white sheet.

The driver, best friend of the deceased teenager, was given a field sobriety test next to the hearse.

She failed the test and was placed under arrest for vehicular homocide.

Afterwards parents of a teenager who died due to a friend drinking and driving April 2010 spoke to the school. They were informed by a sheriff that their daughter was in an accident and is missing. Missing because the car went into the Cannon River and their daughter couldn't be found. They search for their daughter's body for 87 days. Eighty-Seven day! My heart sank listening to them recount those events; listening as they did their best to hold themselves together. She read a letter that their daughter's best friend wrote a year after the accident. That was pretty powerful.

10 hours later - it still gives me the shivers. I can only pray that my children will know right from wrong when it comes to drinking and driving, texting and driving, or being inattentive while driving.