Whiteville Students Witness Mock Crash Scene
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WHITEVILLE, Tenn. — Students at Whiteville Elementary witnessed quite a sight on Friday, as first responders set up a mock crash scene in the front lawn of the school. Officers staged this mock crash for students to see what can happen if you aren’t responsible behind the wheel. “It’s one thing to tell children about drinking and driving or texting and driving. It’s another thing to show them,” Whiteville Police Chief Steven Stanley said. Principal Cedric Crisp said the demonstration wasn’t as graphic as one used for high school students, but said it’s something his young students need to see. “We want to build great learners, but we also want to build great people and want people to make good decisions,” Crisp said. “If we can expose you to things that happen when you make bad decisions, hopefully that’ll guide you to make better decisions when you get older.” Chief Stanley said he is glad to have the school’s support. “If you can catch them when they’re young and you can teach them now, they’ll come back to it,” Chief Stanley said. Law enforcement says demonstrations like these can never start too early in a child’s life, and many parents agree. “It’s a good thing to start young and as they grow up it’ll be instilled in their minds,” Davis Smith, a grandparent, said. Yameekia Futrell said she hopes her son Francisco will use this as a learning experience. “He’ll be driving next year when he turns 15, so it’s really good,” Futrell said. She said it improves the relationship between young students and law enforcement. “They’re doing something positive for the kids and they’re trying to show them what’ll happen to you when you do these bad things.” More than 300 kids came out to see the demonstration.
