Panic broke the quiet morning outside of Wm. E Hay Secondary School in the parking lot on May 30, when student Mackenna couldn't rouse her friend, Jaxton, who was lying across the hood of the vehicle she had just exited.
More yelling came from the backseat of the vehicle as another student, August, indicated she was trapped and couldn't move her legs.
Seconds later, the sound of sirens pierced the morning and fire trucks, an ambulance, and a police car all pulled beside the wrecked vehicle.
This wasn't some sort of tragic high-speed collision in the parking lot of the school where first responders were fortuitously nearby, it was the 2025 grad class mock accident.
The scenario was being played out in front of over 100 Grade 12 students from Wm. E Hay Secondary.
Students were able to watch as Mackenna, the driver for the scenario, was led away. They watched as volunteers with the Stettler Regional Fire Department cut apart the vehicle to extricate a trapped August.
They watched as August was collared, to prevent further spinal injury, and as she was placed into the back of an ambulance and driven away.
Once the ambulance was clear, they watched sombrely as Jaxton, who was playing a fatality in this scenario, was gently removed from the wreckage by the fire department and the funeral home staff, and zipped into a body bag before being placed into a hearse.
Finally, they watched as someone from a local towing company cleaned up the scene and removed the vehicle.
However, that wasn't the end of the experience; once the vehicle was away from the scene, the Grade 12 students were directed into the Performing Arts Centre for part two of the presentation.
Once everyone was settled inside, and Mackenna had taken a seat with the class, she was arrested by an RCMP officer. The charges? Impaired driving, distracted driving and vehicular manslaughter.
After she is taken away, a member of the local media emerges from the shadows of the stage and reads a press-style release indicating that a teen had been charged after a motor vehicle accident resulting in the death of one and the injury of another.
A paramedic then steps forward, talking about their role on the scene of an accident, followed by an RCMP officer, firefighters, the tow truck operator and the funeral home.
During the Stettler Funeral Home's presentation, the curtains on the stage are opened and a casket is wheeled forward, left in the spotlight for the remainder of the presentation as a sombre reminder of what can happen if someone chooses to drink and drive.
Someone playing Jaxton's father came out as well, talking about the difficulties of losing their son, and August wheeled out of the shadows in a wheelchair, talking about the challenges she now faced.
The presentation concluded with paramedics, firefighters, funeral home staff and the tow truck operator returning to the stage with the message, "Don't put us to work."
Finally, a video from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and a song from artist Hardy, which had an emotional impact, were played as the students were left to reflect on the still-in-place casket.
As students left the auditorium, they were given Students Against Drunk Driving ribbons to attach to their keys as a commitment to not drink and drive.
