Prom is always an exciting time for high school students. It’s an eventful period with shopping for dresses, maybe finding a date, and getting ready for the big night. However, for this set of high school students, it’s a life-changing event in the opposite direction, all because of an understated mistake. These students were in a car crash, something that happens far too often in the United States. To prevent this, multiple schools are hosting mock crashes on their school grounds. At Cannon Falls High School, on April 30, 2025, a mock crash was hosted by a club at the high school and the town’s emergency providers. Mock crashes are used to convey a message about driving, and are not a local thing.
A mock crash is defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary as a simulated crash between two vehicles. They aren’t solely done in Minnesota, but rather in high schools all over America. High schools organize them either locally or with a nationwide organization. According to the Youth Center, a commonly hired organization that assembles and enacts mock crashes at high schools is the Every 15 Minutes program. Every 15 Minutes is a popular nationwide program that started in the 1990s and is still in action today. There are plenty of other mock crash programs used all over the United States. Some high schools may not use a program, however, and instead organize it themselves. Cannon Falls High School did just that.
An activity group in Cannon Falls High School, SADD, arranges mock crashes every other year. SADD, or Students Against Destructive Decisions, is a club that focuses on the harm students face, like smoking and drugs, and plans events, posters, and more, in an attempt to stop students from engaging in these harmful activities. The advisor for SADD, Kirsten Hoffman, is the main person responsible for organizing the mock crashes. “Sulo Kyyra (Cannon Falls’ EMS Lieutenant) is our main contact for the mock crash. He comes in to meet with SADD a couple of times a year.” Until the day of the event, SADD spends the entire year setting up the mock crash.
On April 30, the mock crash at Cannon Falls High School took place. Starting at 9 am, the event lasted for almost an hour and consisted of an assembly afterwards. It involved Cannon Falls EMS, Cannon Falls Police, Goodhue County Sheriff, MN Highway Patrol, Life Flight(a type of medical transport using helicopters), and high school students all participating in it. The mock crash featured a scene of a car crash, with different high school students acting out their roles, either playing dead, injured, or as a survivor. Later in the scene, it’s revealed that one of the drivers was drunk while driving. Chloe Sjoquist, a senior, was one of the students who participated as a victim who was deemed dead in the play. “It was a very surreal and eye-opening experience to be on the scene…Although it was a mock crash, it felt extremely real, especially because I was loaded onto a helicopter like a real crash victim would be.” After the mock crash, high school students sat in the auditorium for an assembly.
Nick Swanson, a Minnesota police trooper, was the speaker for the assembly. During the assembly, he played a video of the effects of reckless driving, and later gave a lecture about the importance of driving safely. Noelle Swenson, a junior, was at the assembly and had her own opinions about it. “I thought that the mock crash assembly was very educational and informative, because the video they played described the repercussions of destructive decisions.” The assembly is held to organize the mock crash’s message and remind students of the statistics and laws behind driving and crashes. Many high schools host mock crashes not to entertain students, but to emotionally deliver an important message.
Mock crashes are not fun and games. The message they deliver to students is to stop distracted driving altogether. They remind high school students to stay sober, stay off phones, follow laws, and wear seat belts while driving. Cannon Falls’ Emergency Medical Services Lieutenant, Sulo Kyyra, agrees. “I feel that mock crashes are essential for student awareness, to let the students see what can happen with distracted or drunk driving.” Although Kyyra hasn’t experienced too many car crashes, he still faces ATV and motorcycle accidents with students. During the mock crash, Chloe Sjoquist was launched out of her car as she did not wear a seat belt, resulting in her death. According to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, the number of fatal crashes and fatalities has increased in 2024 compared to 2023 due to an increase in phone usage and inexperienced drivers. In an attempt to stop this, many high schools use mock crashes to remind high school students of the consequences of their actions. It works, too. The National Library of Medicine conducted a study of how students reacted after witnessing a mock crash. They found out that students were 1.4 times less likely to be involved in distracted driving. Mock crashes send an important message to students nationwide.
[/infographic]Car crashes are not meant to be taken lightly. They can ruin events that are intended to be fun, such as prom. To prevent more crashes, Cannon Falls High School hosted a mock crash at the school. High school students participated, and first responders collaborated to ensure it was as accurate as it could be. Many students attended, and it was a huge success. Not only did these students witness the consequences of reckless driving, but it also made a few of them question their own driving habits. Mock crashes are a common and effective tactic used worldwide and have had positive outcomes, just like in Cannon Falls. It’s unclear what the future holds, but students need to remember that they are still young and accidents can occur. Especially when driving.
