FARMINGTON – The blood, crashed up cars and pedestrian lying near a crosswalk all looked real as police, fire fighters, paramedics arrived on the scene of a mock accident that graphically illustrated the dangers of drunk and distracted driving. The event was held today on South Street on the University of Maine at Farmington campus.
The mock scenario of how emergency crews actually respond to a crash scene involved one fatality, four people seriously injured and a drunk driver. The scene was staged by the experts, paramedic Mani Jean-Louis and Dave Robie, director of NorthStar EMS; UMF’s Public Safety director, Ted Blais and Peter Osborne of UMF’s Student Life, who planned the event with the ultimate goal of raising awareness of the consequences of drunk and distracted driving with this graphic presentation.
Hundreds stood and watched the drama unfold as a student coming out of the student center happened on the crash scene and calls 911. Police arrived first to find one person lying seriously injured near a crosswalk and four more people, one deceased, in one car and the driver of the other car wandering around aimlessly asking “what happened?”
Shortly after, many firefighters arrived and immediately went to work trying to extricate the injured passengers. A blanket was placed over the deceased driver. Several NorthStar ambulances arrived as did Franklin County Sheriff’s deputies and troopers with the State Police to investigate the accident.
The drunk driver was administered sobriety tests by Farmington Deputy Chief Shane Cote, which she failed and was placed under arrest. The deceased driver was placed in a hearse from the Adams-McFarlane Funeral Home and taken away.
Afterward, Kendra Smith, a Hollis Center mother whose 17-year-old son, Jeff Letellier, was killed as a passenger in a friend’s car in 2005, emotionally spoke to those attending the mock accident.
“It’s not anything you would want to put your parents through,” Smith said looking over at the accident scene. “I’m begging you, take this to heart.” She urged the crowd of young drivers to never drive intoxicated, too fast, or be distracted by a cell phone. Smith and her husband Ron Smith, founded Save Speed 4 The Track.org which helps promote driver safety.
Students participating, including Tiffany Duplessis, a UMF senior, who portrayed the drunk driver, said the experience though not real, “was really scary. She added she was “ashamed and embarrassed.”
Maybe this will also help to show the students that this can also happen by walking out in traffic in front of a sober driver without looking as well………………….I travel downtown everyday and see many students walk right out in front of me and other drivers without looking. I have had to slam on my breaks many times, jolting my child in the back, all because they dont have the courtesy to look out for cars. I understand fully that the pedestrian has the right of the way, but not the right to walk out without looking.
This is to Farmington Resident: Pedestrians don’t always have the right of way. Before crossing the street they are supposed to yield to coming traffic especially if the are not in a cross walk
Truly eye opening!! It certainly got my attention.
Thank you ALL for your display of courage, responsibility, and duty.
My sympathy to Kendra Smith. What a strong lady!
I no longer do anything in downtown Farmington. I used to love Reny’s Liquid Sunshine, the thrift stores, Java Joe’s and House of PIzza. It is too scary to have to wtch people running back and forth from post office and Dunkin, then the stretch by the college with them just stepping out from behind a van into the path of traffic.
Easier to not do downtown. Sad really, downtown Farmington has much to offer.
I also have been forced to suddenly slam onmy brakes due to a student suddenly deciding to actually cross the street…without looking and walking slowly (almost deliberately,,,btw).
However I have also had many many of them give a wave of acknowledgement when I started to slow down for them to cross…
The jerks deserve to criticism but lets remember not all the kids are like that…
It’s really a shame these forums are used as a place to rant about your person life experiences. This is not about blaming pedestrians, or drivers. Not supporting local businesses because the driving is too scary, when you could just part a few blocks away and walk is slightly irrelevant.
This about a real problem which exists. Drunk driving not only claims lives, it can really impact the family and friends of all the people involved. The struggles and emotions of these kind of accidents are real not just for families, but for the firefighters and all responders to accident scenes. This is NOT a time to blame pedestrians, or drivers but a time to acknowledge a real problem and take a moment to reflect that actual people DO die of this very scenario daily. And there are many brave people who respond to accident scenes like this everyday, then must continue going about their day.
Thank you to all who participated, I hope this makes people think twice before drinking and driving.
Frustrating… I dont think the point umf was trying to make here was kids walking across in front of people…. yes this does happen, but so does the nice kids who stop, look and give you a wave thanking you for stopping ! Great Job to all involved. I truly believe that this enactment made students stop and think. Drinking and driving… (and texting) is a problem that is faced everyday, not only with young folks. A hard lesson for us all to take warning from.
I would like to acknowledge all of your comments about safety and crossing the street. UMF Students DO need to be aware that we are not the only ones on the road ways. In the past I know we have established campaigns about crossing safety- maybe it is time for some more!
So very true….not all of the students walk right out in front of traffic…there are many students that wait, and I graciously stop and let them cross.
This mock was a great example and maybe one should be done for the high school students as well, so they can see not only the outcomes of just drinking and driving, but what could also happen if we are texting and driving, speeding, or just all together not paying attention.
This experience is bound to have had a profound impact on some of those participating; if it results in even one person making a better choice about drinking and driving, it will have been worth it. Thank you to everyone who put the effort into planning and executing this event.
I wish I had known about this through the schools, as I would certainly have had my daughter there to FEEL the experience. So imperative.
This is a great exercise considering this is the time of year where the most drinking tends to happen. well planed by UMF and the emergency services. and the pedestrians here arent that bad cammon now people.
if you drove the speed limit and paid attention to your surroundings, you wouldn’t have to worry about slamming on your brakes every time somebody tried to cross the street. college students are not the only people in farmington who dart out in front of vehicles. when you see a sign in a residential neighborhood that says, “slow, children,” do you drive carelessly and then act surprised when you see small children straying into the street?
In the future we should all check first with Resident of Farmington to make sure our comments are appropriate
jonboy – I was thinking the same thing. If I’m driving through campus, I make sure I am driving slowly enough so that if someone were to walk out in front of me, I’d be able to stop in time without having to slam on my brakes. That is what defensive driving is, and is always a smart idea, regardless of where you are driving.
And if students do walk out in front of me, I try to take it in stride by remembering that I was a UMF student years ago as well, and I probably did the same thing, because I was a college kid and I thought I ruled the world. Let’s all just drive a little slower through campus and try to be friendly to the students as they pass. It’s their home too.
I’d like to thank everyone that put together and participated in the mock accident. It’s one thing for young people to “know” what can happen and an entirely different thing altogether to SEE it. Good job, everyone.
@humblethoughts….
Really? You’re really going to AVOID an entire part of town, just because pedestrians need to cross the road to where they’re trying to go? Maybe if YOU would keep your eyes peeled, drive carefully, and go the speed limit, you wouldn’t have to worry about it. Downtown Farmington does have a lot to offer, it’s too bad you’re missing out on it because you’re blaming people who choose to walk instead of drive.