PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. – On Thursday, April 18, 2024, junior and senior classes from Calvert High School attended a “mock crash” scenario depicting distracted and impaired driving to help educate young drivers on the dangers and consequences of doing so.
According to the Chesapeake Region Safety Council, who facilitated the event, the mock crash involved two vehicles.
Vehicle #1: Black 2000 Suburban. Driver David Kauten, 17, a senior from Prince Frederick, MD Lives with his parents, 2 brothers, and 1 sister, works at Weis and as a lifeguard in the summer, plays football and lacrosse. Has a serious girlfriend. Is going into the Marines after high school.
Vehicle #2: Red 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee Red 1J8H48PX7C52412A Extreme Front End Damage to Passenger Side.
Four Occupants. Deceased Front Seat Occupant, unbuckled. Injured rear passenger side occupant. Other rear-seat passenger are not injured/transported. Only need one ambulance.
1. Alvarado Driver: Buckled, Uninjured. Joana Alvarado, Age 17, from Prince Frederick, MD Lives with parents and has 3 siblings. Involved in Explorers and Criminal Justice Skills USA. She plans to attend college to become a lawyer. She has aspirations to be a judge.
2. Front Seat Passenger – Deceased: Alyssa Foster- 18 – St. Leonard, Md Lives with mom and 1 sister. Is involved in the Senior Class Council at CHS. Plans to attend college to study forensic nursing or Psychology.
3. Rear Seat, Passenger Side, and the screamer. Injured, transported. Faith Bowen 18, a senior from St. Leonard, MD Lives with mom and has 3 siblings, works at a hair salon. Loves shopping and has a boyfriend that goes to Chopticon. She plans to go to college to study Criminal Justice.
4. DeShaun Berry Rear Seat Passenger, Driver Side. Unhurt. Deshan Berry, 18, a senior from Prince Frederick, MD lives with mom, had two brothers, doesn’t work, plays football, basketball, and lacrosse. Plans to attend college to study Criminal Justice.
Scenario set up by Commissioner Ireland:
The Black Suburban is on Prince Frederick Boulevard, traveling toward Route 231. Inside the vehicle, a drunk driver is leaving the shopping center area after purchasing more alcohol. He is driving slowly and recognizes the Red Jeep coming toward him as that of a friend from school. As he approaches the Jeep, he inadvertently crosses the center line, moving into their lane. The Jeep Driver reacts by sharply turning her steering wheel to the right, driving the front and passenger side of her vehicle into the guardrail, and pinning her passengers on that side. Inside the vehicle, two of the occupants were not wearing their seat belts. They are the front seat passenger female, Alyssa, and the rear seat passenger, Faith. The other two occupants, driver Joanna and passenger DeShaun were wearing their seat belts.
The mock crash ended with Fire/EMS/CALS/Law Enforcement Response, followed by an Impairment Assessment by Sgt. Kreps and TFC Kaitz and removal of the deceased by Sewell Funeral Home.
The students were then moved to the Auditorium to hear presentations by Dr. Janet Bahouth of CrashCore – where she reconstructed the crash and injuries as well as outcomes for victims. The next presenter was Paramedic Joshua Baney, who covered the crash that took his brother.
This event was possible thanks to the combined effort of:
- Calvert County Roads for setting up the VMS Board – Cornell Johnson.
- Calvert County Public Schools – Calvert Career Center for donation of the Suburban.
- APlus Towing and Recovery in St. Leonard – Rickey Bennett for donation of the Jeep and time to damage and set up the vehicles in the scene.
- Calvert County Public Schools – Tom Komenda for the sound system.
- SHA Prince Frederick Maintenance Facility for donation of the guardrail.
- Calvert County Government, Paid and Volunteer Fire and EMS personnel. Of note, is Heather Howes, EMS Specialist for managing the 911 call process and keeping the paid and volunteer staff up to date. Responding agencies include the Prince Frederick Volunteer Fire Department, Prince Frederick Volunteer Rescue Squad, and Calvert Advanced Life Support.
- Maryland State Police and Calvert County Sheriff’s Office, including Sheriff Ricky Cox for his opening remarks and TFC Kaitz/Sgt. Kreps.
- Sewell Funeral Home
- Recognition should be for the outstanding efforts by Ms. Dawn Lister, Criminal Justice Instructor and her students.
- Chesapeake Region Safety Council’s Director of Highway Safety Programs – Debbie Jennings and President David Madaras, who did the opening remarks.
- Presentations to follow in the auditorium, Dr. Janet Bahouth of CrashCore, and Paramedic Joshua Baney, brother of a crash victim.
Contact our news desk at news@thebaynet.com
Thank you Mrs. Lister for starting the criminal justice program in Calvert Co. schools. You have done a wonderful job setting up the mock accidents for years. The impact these scenes have on our young people is immeasurable. Showing students real life consequences make them think and makes prom and graduation much safer.