'Crash' highlights dangers of drinking, driving

SANDPOINT — It was 10 p.m. Wednesday, and two officers and a police chaplain stood at Sandpoint resident Michelle Lawrence’s front door.

Idaho State Police patrol officer Jeff Jayne, Bonner County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeremy Deal and ISP chaplain Anita Kronvall came to tell her what she has known, prepared for and worried about for the past month — that her son Matt had “died” in mock DUI crash.

“I’ve been prepped for this,” said Lawrence, her voice wavering as she spoke following a mock crash exercise Thursday at the Bonner County Fairgrounds before an audience of Sandpoint, Clark Fork, Priest River and Lake Pend Oreille Alternative high school seniors.

It did not matter that she knew the exercise was not real — that her son does not drink, Lawrence said. It represents the fear that parents experience.

“It’s so traumatizing as a mother,” she said. “It’s a real eye opener.”

Lawrence’s son died in the crash because he was not wearing a seatbelt. While seven times out of 10 he wears his seat belt, she also has had to remind her son to put it on.

The two-day event began Wednesday at the Panida Theater with a presentation on driving under the influence from a panel of law enforcement, EMS and hospital employees and victims’ family members.

It also included an exercise later that evening in which two parents, Lawrence and Bob Hess of Clark Fork, agreed to a visit from law enforcement and a chaplain announcing their deaths of their children.

The exercise is made even more real because the officers give the parents an item of a personal nature that belonged to their children, said BGH emergency room nurse Sharon Bistideau.

While the parents were being notified Wednesday, their children stayed with Bistideau at a hotel that evening.

Hess has had many sleepless nights since agreeing to participate in the exercise along with his daughter, Megan.

Even though he knew the situation was not real, Hess said he went into shock, hearing what he had been told but being unable to react.

Officers asked Hess if he needed help notifying his wife and asked about making arrangements.

“Just that word ‘arrangement’ is so scary,” he said.

Other thoughts also ran through his head, like did Megan hurt, was she scared, the fact that he did not get to say goodbye to her.

He said death becomes real when you discuss it with someone else. Hess said his brother died in a drunken driving accident when he was in high school and he recalled that when he called his girlfriend, it became real.

“I just remember being senseless, not being able to feel anything,” he said.

Megan’s “death” became real when her sister called him, Hess said. He spent the night thinking about her hugs, her smile and the little wave she gave him at basketball games. He recalled how she liked to play Santa Claus at Christmas time.

Hess had to remind himself the situation was just a movie.

“We rely on you to make the right decisions,” Hess told the students. “Don’t be a dummy.”

The exercise is a volunteer effort in which participants donate their time. It included ISP, BCSO, Sandpoint, Northside and Westside Fire departments, BGH and Bonner County High School students.

Student participants also included Kelsey Peterson, LPO; Mike Martin, CFHS; Lacey Clayburn, LPO; Alicia Shanilec, PRHS; Lindsey Schloss, PRHS; and Kourtney Smith, SHS.'