MASSENA -- Massena Central High School, Massena Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad, Massena Police Department and St. Lawrence County STOP-DWI Program will sponsor a mock DWI  crash on Wednesday, May 15 at 9:30 a.m. in the parking lot in front of Massena Central High School. 

A mock DWI crash dramatizes the severe consequences of drinking and driving and promotes a “safe and sober message” for students, which is particularly poignant during prom and graduation events, a press release from the school said.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were 13,524 alcohol-related fatalities, involving a driver with a Blood Alcohol Content of .08 or higher, in 2022 which amounts to 32% of the total traffic fatalities for that year. 

This represents an average of one alcohol-related fatality every 39 minutes.  

In St. Lawrence County for 2022, roughly 42% of all individuals killed due to impaired driving were between the ages of 18 and 25 years old, the press release said. 

Nationally, the leading cause of deaths for youths ages 15-20 is motor vehicle crashes.

The simulation highlights the fire rescue and emergency medical system at work as well as police performing field sobriety testing and arrest procedures.  

The STOP-DWI Program is funded by all drinking driving fines collected in St. Lawrence County.