The Travis County Sheriff's Office, along with law enforcement agencies from the nearby area, and emergency services presented this underage drinking and driving prevention program March 8-9, 2012 at Vandegrift High School in Austin, Texas Leander ISD.
"Shattered Dreams" is a national educational experience that reminds us all of the dangers associated with drinking and driving. It reminds us that too many young lives have already been lost and countless others severely impaired because of the tragic consequences of underage drinking combined with driving.
The "Shattered Dreams" program involves the dramatization of an alcohol-related crash on or near a high school campus, complete with police and EMS response, emergency room treatment, family notifications, and the arrest and booking of the driver. The crash scene drama is played out before the student body during a school day. To give students a better understanding of the number of DWI-related deaths, an individual dressed as the "Grim Reaper" appears periodically throughout the school day to select a new victim. The next morning a wrap-up assembly features those who played roles in the previous day's drama, including the "crash" victims, the drunk driver, their parents and participating law enforcement and medical personnel. Impact statements from community members who lives have been affected by teenage alcohol use and drunk driving bring closure to the program and reinforce its dual message for the teenage audience--- Don't drink until you are 21, and NEVER drink and drive.
