Wednesday morning, around 10:15, a car crash involving four East students occurred in the bus lot between the school and Marr Road. The students involved were returning from a party that they attended after prom.

Junior Lauren Wagner died on the scene from complications obtained during the crash, and seniors Sarah Harpring and Luke Major sustained serious injuries, with Harpring being transported to an Indianapolis trauma center via helicopter and Major being driven to Columbus Regional hospital via ambulance. Zack Patchett, the driver, was taken into custody after failing a field sobriety test.

But don’t worry- the accident was completely fake.

The tragic scene took place as part of Operation Safe Prom, a biannual event that is held to warn juniors and seniors of the potential dangers involved with drinking and driving.

Presented by the EMT Association of South Central Indiana, the BCSC school board, state policeman, and the firefighters and policeman of Columbus, Operation Safe Prom has been taking place since 1993, and creates an intense picture of what is possible when students drive while intoxicated.

“The purpose is to give [students] some sort of realistic image of what a bad decision of drinking and driving can result in,” said Mike Wilson, Public Information Officer for the Columbus fire department, who served as the narrator.

After third mod, all juniors and seniors donned upon the sidewalk lining the bus lot, which was occupied by speakers and a large, ominous object covered by a tarp. Wilson introduced the event by talking about the exciting prom weekend ahead, but the scene turned dark when screeched of a car wreck filled the air and the tarp was lifted to reveal a mangled vehicle with beer cans littering the surrounding ground.

Students watched in horror as Patchett, the driver, emerged from the wreck unscathed and attempted to kick the cans underneath the vehicle. Meanwhile, Major and Harpring, trapped in the backseat, screamed for Wagner, who, having been thrown through the windshield, laid motionless.

While four police cars, two fire trucks and an ambulance arrived and assisted the victims, Wilson narrated the scene for the crowd of students, whose faces showed expressions of concern and grief for their classmates participating in the dramatization.

Eventually, frantic parents, played by community members April Knox and Robert Hay-Smith, and an IU Health LifeLine helicopter arrived. The parents emotionally confronted the teenagers while Harpring was wheeled on a stretcher to the helicopter, where she would be transported to an Indianapolis trauma center. In reality, Harpring changed into a firefighter’s uniform and met her fellow actors in front, who returned from their respective vehicles unscathed.

The event seemed to have its intended effect on attending students, who listened attentively as each actor gave advice about decision making concerning alcohol on prom night.

“Make sure that you’re having memories that last a lifetime, not end your lifetime. Make sure that you have fun, but be safe,” said Harpring.