Students at North Zulch High School in Madison County got a close-up look at the real-life consequences of distracted driving.
The school participated in the Shattered Dreams program, which the Bexar County DWI Task Force Advisory Board developed in 1998.
"The Shattered Dreams program emphasizes the results of alcohol-related crashes: the shattered dreams of those who drive after drinking, the innocent victims, and their friends and families," according to its Facebook.
On Thursday, the program focused on texting and driving.
Outside the high school campus, leaders, students, and first responders set up a scene involving two cars which crashed head on. There were three students in each car, including the driver who caused the crash.
Blood, debris, and the victims of a bad decision were spread out for everyone to see.
School leaders said it's a sight their school has seen too often.
"We've had too many deaths here at North Zulch this [school] year. We know that texting and driving and being on your phone is a real bad habit for the kids. So we wanted to make sure they're aware even in a second something could happen," teacher Jane Dill said. She helped coordinate the demonstration.
And even though it was all an act, for some students, Thursday's demonstration hit too close to home.
"We just had one of our volleyball girls die a couple months ago, about a year ago. It's just been really hard talking about death. So seeing another death would be really traumatic, especially for our school," eleventh grader Zadie Pain said.
Seeing a justice of the peace pronounce their classmate dead was perhaps the most shocking moment for students.
"Seeing her grow through school has really touched me in a way, because she works so hard. And seeing her mom kiss her and say goodbye to her. It just hurt me," eleventh grader Jerica Hutchins said.
If the message wasn't clear before, Hutchins and Pain said it is now.
"I won't be on my phone anymore after this. It kind of puts everything in perspective ... that you've never really focused on before ... until you actually see it," Pain said.
Dill hopes the demonstration will help save lives.
"At least if we can save one life," Dill said, "it's what we want to do."
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