By GARETT VALCOURT
With prom season quickly approaching, local agencies partnered with Ponce de Leon High School to deliver a sobering and emotional reminder about the consequences of impaired driving through the annual Prom Promise demonstration held Friday morning.
The simulation, conducted on the campus of Ponce de Leon High School, brought together multiple emergency response and community organizations, including Ponce de Leon Volunteer Fire Rescue, Holmes County Sheriff’s Office, Holmes County EMS, Florida State Police, Walton County Fire Rescue, Walton Air Rescue, Eye of Hope Recovery Advocates, and Davis-Watkins Funeral Home.
The demonstration portrayed a realistic motor vehicle crash involving students, with the driver under the influence of alcohol. The scene included multiple “casualties,” including two student fatalities—one of whom was a Ponce de Leon High School student. Emergency responders treated the scene as they would in a real-life incident, utilizing their full range of resources including helicopters, emergency vehicles, and funeral transport units.
One of the most impactful moments occurred when the mother of a deceased student arrived at the scene and desperately attempted to reach her son’s body, only to be restrained by law enforcement. This moment visibly moved many of the students in attendance, highlighting the emotional weight of the consequences that come with poor decision-making.
Later, inside the school gym, a mother addressed the student body directly. Through tears, she explained that her own son had been killed after driving under the influence, and while some students may not have taken the demonstration seriously, it was all too real for her. Her message was a heartfelt plea: for students to think carefully about their actions before they get behind the wheel or ride with someone who is impaired.
Prom Promise serves as a preventative education program aimed at reducing teenage impaired driving and its often tragic consequences. The event seeks to remind students that one poor decision can have lifelong ramifications—for themselves, their families, and their community.
Officials urge students to make safe, responsible choices during the upcoming prom season and beyond.
