New push against drunk driving: Arrive Alive

On May 7th, 2025, Cascade High School collaborated with local first responders to host an “Arrive Alive” event: a reenactment of the response to a car accident caused by drunk driving followed by a question and answer session with participants. The mock accident took place behind the Career and Technical Education building. Teachers and first responders recognized a correlation between year-end high school events and drinking and driving incidents. In a proactive approach, they organized this mock accident to teach students about the dangers of driving under the influence and ultimately save lives.

Planning for the event began months in advance; however, day-of preparations for student participants started one hour before the "crash" in drama teacher Dwayne Allen's classroom. Students from the drama club volunteered by applying prosthetics and makeup to make the scene appear real. Makeup artists Kate Smith (10) and Reese Matters (12). Mathers used broken pieces of plastic to look like glass as part of the makeup for Beibesheimer.

Out in the sun, the "victims" spread out within the scene creating a realistic crash site for the mockup. Trail Heyl (12) was the offender, who portrayed an inebriated driver who had crashed into a car driven by Talia Stein Trujillo (12) resulting in injuries to six people. Jennifer Andrews, Management Services Organizer and Paramedic at Cascade Medical, was inspired to participate by the many “senseless deaths” witnessed throughout her career as the result of drinking and driving. “If you’re going to do something, have a designated driver. If you see your friends can’t drive take their keys; save them. Take care of each other, and don't be afraid to speak up,” said Andrews.

First Responders from Cascade Medical, Fire Station 31, Chelan County Police, and Life Flight all helped to reenact the scene for Cascade students. Firefighter duty officer Marcus Wells was first on the scene reporting the accident. The mock crash “shows everyone the consequences of driving drunk and driving impaired can do... It also demonstrates that your local community is protected by such great men and women,” said Simon Kyser, a member of Station 31.

The event showcased the physical repercussions of drinking and driving. Tevya Dillon (12) and Landon Curnutt (12) were escorted a safe distance from the scene after first responders completed a triage assessment and determined their wounds to be primarily superficial and non-life threatening. Other injuries, like that of Allen, were more serious and required immediate medical attention. Biebesheimer played the role of a victim suffering the ultimate consequence: an untimely death. Audience engagement was high as one participating student was extracted after the doors to a car were cut off and a life flight helicopter arrived to transport another "victim" to intensive care.

Additionally, the legal, and financial repercussions for the offending driver, portrayed by Trail Heyl (12), helped to drive the anti-DUI message home. On scene, Heyl performed and failed Driving Under the Influence (DUI) testing and was escorted to a police car. During the question and answer session that followed in the CHS Commons, police explained that someone in Heyl's position would likely be charged with vehicular manslaughter and DUI crimes, both of which carry severe penalties. The second portion of the event helped students to learn about the aftermath of the scene they had witnessed - for the driver and the responders as each first responder spoke about their role.