MONTE VISTA—Monte Vista High School’s S.H.O.C.K. (Students Helping our Community and Kids) Club conducted the annual mock accident last Tuesday, April 18 on the west end of campus on the golf course.
The students planned out the simulation in which a drunk driver, played by Danielle Chacon, struck another car, killing two people in addition to a 10-year-old child, played by Karicia Ceballos and injuring another person, played by Valentina Pons.
The simulation began in the moments immediately following the accident, which was responded to in real-time by two ambulances, two fire trucks and a flight-for-life helicopter in addition to numerous members of Colorado State Patrol, EMS and the Monte Vista Police Department. The helicopter landed on the golf course and airlifted a student (Tyesha Keever) for a brief time before landing again; the student succumbed from her injuries.
The hospital scene followed in the high school gym; several nurses, EMTs and firefighters completed a simulation in which another student (Noel Heredia) died from his injuries, in front of his parents, played by teachers Joshua Garcia and Rachael Torres.
Upon completion of the simulation, nurses, firefighters and paramedics told tearful anecdotes about accidents they had seen in real life, reminding the students in attendance that they join this simulation, dedicating numerous hours and a considerable amount of money, because they love the students and don’t want to see anymore accidents resulting from reckless, distracted or intoxicated driving.
The simulation ended with a courtroom scene in which Danielle Chacon, the intoxicated driver, was escorted into the band room by Officer David Pino of the MVPD in jail scrubs, handcuffs and shackles and went on trial. The accident’s only other survivor testified against Chacon and in an unscripted moment in the mock accident, was determined by the jury to be guilty of vehicular homicide.

SHOCK would like to thank the following participants and donors for making the mock accident possible:
MVHS Staff
MVHS Broadcasting /Spencer Wingert, Chris Villagomez, C.J. Blankensop
MVHS Principal Scott Wiedeman
MVHS Superintendent Robert Webb
Monte Vista Fire Department Sheldon Lowder, Scott Taylor
Monte Vista Paramedics/Stephan Ortega
Monte Vista Police/David Pino
Colorado State Patrol/Trooper Darren Rodriquez, Sargent Noga
Del Norte Hospital/Candice Allen, Kayla Beiriger
TSJC Nursing Program Angie Medina
Colorado Recycling/Louis Gallegos
City of Monte Vista
Josh Garcia and Rachael Torres
REACH Flight for Life, Salida Colorado
The Monte Vista Journal
Jessica Castillo

SHOCK’s sponsors are Melissa Harlan and Kana Condon, who also send their thanks to the students who helped coordinate the accident and encouraged their peers to have a safe prom and maintain safe driving skills: President Valentina Pons, Vice-President Tyesha Keever, Secretary Noel Heredia, Treasurer Ivory Stephenson, Robert Duran, Ted
Pacheco, Emilio Sandoval, Krystin Martinez, Erica Robles, Dezirae Sandoval and Steven Valdez, as well as non club members Karicia Ceballos and Danielle Chacon.