Just in time for prom, students at Draughn High got a lesson on drinking and driving Friday afternoon when a North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement agent spoke to them about the dangers of underage drinking.
ALE Agent Antwan Happoldt said every 15 minutes someone is injured in an alcohol related car accident. He emphasized the fact by gathering 27 students to the gymnasium floor; a visual of how many people are injured in the span of a school day.
Freshmen and sophomores joined their upperclassmen for the presentation in an effort to underscore the importance of not drinking and driving, Beverly Icard, advisor to Students Against Destructive Decisions, said.
Of the 27 students standing on the gym floor, Icard pointed out their achievements or relationships, saying, "What a shame it could be to lose any of these students."
MADD representative Angie Bass told her personal story to a hushed crowd. In 2002, she lost her young son, Zack Davis, when a drunk driver struck her vehicle.
Bass said she was taking Zack to school when the driver, in a truck, hit the side of her Ford Mustang sending it into a spin.
Zack's brain swelled and broke through his skull, Bass said. Shortly before he was transferred to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, Bass spent a few minutes with her son.
"That was the last time I saw him until he was in a casket," she said.
Bass suffered from internal injuries and was at Frye when Zack passed away.
Bass said the drunk driver was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 28 years in prison.
"When you're making your choices, make the right choice," Bass said. "Please remember Zack when you're making choices."
Happoldt reminded students that the legal drinking age is 21, and that it's illegal for anyone younger to even hold an alcoholic beverage.
Furthermore, anyone under the legal drinking age caught with alcohol could go to jail, receive school sanctions and incur legal and court fees.
Happoldt scrolled through several photos of accident scenes in the area where the driver was an inebriated teen.
One accident completely tore a Honda Accord in two. Another photo depicted a severely crushed vehicle with parts strewn across the road.
Icard said, "Don't ever let a friend behind the wheel of a car if that friend's been drinking."
And on prom night Saturday, students were reminded of their Prom Promise pledges as the SADD club displayed the banner bearing their names.
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