Prom Promise mock crash urges Beaufort Co. teens: don’t drive impaired

BEAUFORT COUNTY, S.C. (WTOC) - Nearly 1,000 people die on South Carolina roads each year, and officials say alcohol is a factor in many of those crashes.

With prom season, spring break, and summer travel ramping up, first responders in Beaufort County are trying to reach teens before a celebration turns tragic.

A staged crash with real consequences

On Friday, students at Whale Branch Early College High School watched a realistic, staged two-vehicle crash unfold in a school parking lot as part of “Prom Promise.”

In the simulation, a “drunk driver” and a passenger stumbled out after the collision—disoriented and unaware of the damage—while students looked on. Moments later, first responders rushed in to treat the victims.

Three people were “rescued” and transported for treatment. A fourth victim was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver was given a sobriety test, arrested, and charged.

All six people involved in the mock crash were actors, but the scenario was designed to mirror what firefighters, deputies, and EMS crews say they too often see in real life.

‘This isn’t PlayStation’

Burton Assistant Fire Chief Dan Byrne said the demonstration is meant to drive home the permanence of a single bad decision.

“One of the things that we think these students need to realize is that this isn’t PlayStation; there are no do-overs. You don’t get another life… There are long-term consequences," Byrne said.

Nick Pye with the South Carolina Highway Patrol added that there are “too many resources out there” for someone to avoid driving impaired.

A mother’s message after losing her daughter

To underscore the stakes, students also heard from Jenifer Klepesky, co-director of Madison’s Miracle Inc., who said she lost her daughter and her daughter’s boyfriend in a crash caused by a drunk driver four years ago.

“Our children are gone; they’re never coming home… and that’s extremely difficult to deal with," Klepesky said.

Klepesky’s nonprofit now supports families grieving the loss of loved ones.

Beyond impaired driving: distraction and texting

Before the big dance later this spring, responders also spoke with students about distracted driving, including texting while driving, which can carry legal consequences in South Carolina.

Whale Branch has hosted Prom Promise for four years, and organizers hope to bring it back next year.