Ghost Out prepares teens for the road
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The Oglethorpe Echo
By Kira Doppel
Oglethorpe County High School students seemed to get the intended message from the annual Ghost Out, which was held Friday, a day before the prom.
The event is staged to show the real-life consequences of drunk driving and how to stay safe on the road.
“It is important because people might be driving drunk on the road and they could hit you, or you could spin off the road,” said Pharmoni Bryant, a student at Oglethorpe County High School.
Ghost Out, hosted by OCHS Health and Occupational Students of America (HOSA), law enforcement agencies and emergency services, featured interactive activities such as drunk and defensive driving simulators, fire extinguishing stations, “Jaws of Life” Jenga, EMS equipment demonstrations, CPR training stations and a simulation of a car accident.
“One wrong decision can ruin your whole life, or someone else’s life and their families,” Sgt. Chase Woody from the Georgia Department of Public Safety said during the driving simulation. “Just think about what you do before you get on the road; it can be very dangerous, especially under the influence of alcohol or drugs.”
The event, which began in 2018 and drew roughly 300 juniors and seniors this year, was held in the OCHS gym and parking lot, and highlighted not only the dangers of impaired driving, but also emphasized the importance of making responsible decisions behind the wheel.
Georgia Department of Public Safety commercial vehicle officer Eran Hammock guided both faculty and students through an 18-wheeler driving simulator that recreated common road dangers such as impatience and distraction.
The simulation placed participants in scenarios including two-lane country roads, encounters with emergency vehicles, and driving alongside an 18-wheeler modeled after the one they were inside.
“If you are crossing those double yellow lines, it lets me know you are an impatient driver,” Hammock said. “Impatient drivers set themselves up for failure and then bad things happen.”
The main event was a staged enactment of an automobile accident.
Students portrayed victims who died on impact, while the driver of the vehicle failed a field sobriety test and was placed under arrest.
Although a helicopter is usually part of the demonstration, it was unable to attend due to technical issues. However, a hearse arrived on scene as participants acting as the victims’ loved ones reacted with visible and audible grief.
Though intense, this event’s goal is to raise awareness by presenting a realistic scenario, one organizers hope students will never have to experience in real life.
After putting students in realistic, high-pressure situations, the event aimed to leave a lasting impression.
“This is going to help students learn how to drive responsibly,” Georgia Department of Safety officer Adam Calloway said. “This will help them to not be on their phone while they are driving and educate them on distracted driving and better driving habits.”
