A tragic scene played out Monday morning in Watonga, one seen far too often on Oklahoma roads and highways.
Lights flashed and sirens wailed as law enforcement agencies throughout the county responded to Watonga High School, where three vehicles sat mangled in the parking lot and multiple injuries were reported.
Thankfully, Monday’s carnage had one catch: It wasn’t real. But local law enforcement is hoping the scene will make a lasting impression on the Blaine County kids who saw it.
The Monday demonstration was organized by the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office with help from numerous supporting agencies and sponsors. The “Arrive Alive Tour” featured volunteer actors and law enforcement personnel from throughout the county who took off-duty time to participate, Sheriff Travis Daugherty said.
“We started out on a mission to try to curb texting and driving and drinking and driving,” Daugherty told the Watonga Republican. “They’re both so deadly.”
The “crash” scene included three cars, five victims and a fire victim, an injured first responder, one fatality and one drunk driver who got arrested, all depicted by volunteers.
Participating agencies included the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office, Watonga Police, Watonga Fire, Geary Police, Hydro Fire, Blaine County Emergency Management, Hitchcock Fire, Longdale Fire, Bureau of Indian Affairs Police, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and more.
“We have firefighters from every agency in Blaine County here today,” Daugherty said.
An Air Evac helicopter even responded to the scene, landing in a nearby field.
Daugherty said planning for the tour began a couple months ago with assistance from state Rep. Mike Dobrinski. He helped put Daugherty in touch with the Energize for Safety Coalition, a nonprofit group of state leaders, who helped coordinate the event with a large group of sponsor businesses, agencies and individuals.
“There’s so many programs here,” Daugherty said. ThruTubing Solutions provided free food to the attending students, and supplementary activities were available to raise awareness about impaired and distracted driving.
Ḋobrinski addressed the crowd of students shortly after the “drunk driver” had been arrested and the simulation concluded. “Making the choice not to drink and drive; making the choice not to text and drive; making the choice of whether or not you’re going to buckle up -- you don’t get a second chance with a lot of those questions,” Dobrinksi told the students. “I lost a brother 16 years ago because he was not wearing his seat belt, and he was someone that normally did.
“So if we can make an impression on you today, this is all worth it,” he said.
Daugherty implored the students to have someone pick them up and drive them home if they made “the bad decision” to drink or smoke at a party. “Don’t get behind the wheel,” Daugherty said. “Call somebody. Call me. Before you get behind the wheel, call me and I will drive you home.
“I will tell your parents,” he said. “But I will drive you home before I have to pick you up off the side of the road.”
According to preliminary numbers from the 2020 Oklahoma Highway Safety Office report, there were 622 traffic fatalities in Oklahoma last year. Of those, 224 victims were unrestrained and 93 were under the age of 21.
Preliminarily, the state is counting 134 traffic fatalities so far in 2021.
Monday’s Arrive Alive sponsors included Canton Foods, Katie Simmons with Black Coyote Designs, Allison Lafferty, Big Wig Bailbonds, ThruTubing Solutions, Benchmarks, AR Bail Bonds, Yvonne Christianson, Wheeler Brothers, Westfahl Insurance, Ryan & Aubrey Haffner, Wheatland Therapy, Lucky Drug, High Plains Bank, Pioneer Telephone, Watonga Tag Office, Greg Heath, Pollock Farms, JD and RW Woodie, First Christian Church of Geary, Kiwanis Club of Watonga, Ward and Glass Attorneys, Emma Sugar Shack, Cornerstone Bank, Redrock, First State Bank Watonga, First National Bank of Okeene, Bank of Western Oklahoma, State Farm Insurance/Mary Lee Jones, administrators from Blaine County schools, Mike Carlin, Kirk Harmen, Edward D. Jones, Okeene Kiwanis, Bank of Hydro, Watonga Chamber, Watonga Republican, Karl’s Apple Market, Oklahoma City Police Department, Oklahoma Highway Safety Office, Jack Bedard, and Katarina Larson.