MONTE VISTA - Monte Vista High School students on Thursday, April 10, watched two films and then went to the scene of mock crash that highlighted the dangers of drunk driving. 

Three of their fellow high school classmates had been killed in the mock drunk driving accident on their way to an after-prom event.  

The mock accident was staged outside of the high school near the golf course. A car was flipped on its side and three of the students in the car were made to look deceased while ambulance crews and the coroner arrived on the scene to help any survivors and pick up the deceased students. 

Students looking at the accident had mixed emotions on their faces as they watched it all unfold.  

The demonstration was organized by Melissa Malouff Harlen. It began with freshmen through seniors being shown a film in the high school gymnasium that showed real-life, deadly car crashes. In the films people were being pulled out of cars by first responders, where alcohol had been a factor in the crashes. 

Before the video, the students were warned that there would be some disturbing images of death, and they were welcome to either look the other way or leave the gym.  

The second short film was made by classmates of all the students at Monte Vista High School. Two of the students who starred in it portrayed students that received scholarships. They were then depicted talking to other students about going to prom and celebrating after the prom with some drinks. 

The students were shown at prom, and then they were shown toasting in a vehicle with various forms of alcohol, all but one student in the car had a drink. 

The student who decided not to drink, Kaden Mellott, got into an argument with his classmates and made them drop him off on the side of the road, while they continued to drink and head to the after-prom party. 

After more drinking, the students in the car decided to turn around and go back for Mellott. The students were so intoxicated when they turned around to go back for him, they did not see Mellott walking in the middle of the road and ran him over, killing Mellott and rolling their car, with two students being half ejected from the car during the rollover.  

The film paused at the rollover and everyone in the gym walked outside to the mock crash. At the scene, Mellott was on the ground in front of the car, with bloody clothes and unresponsive. Two passengers wearing dresses were half ejected from the vehicle and lay on the ground bloodied and unresponsive. 

Two other students phoned for help. Monte Vista Police Department, Monte Vista Ambulance, the Rio Grande County Coroner, and Monte Vista Fire Department all showed up at the scene. Three of the students were pronounced dead at the scene, and one was taken by ambulance with first responders attempting to save his life.  

In a question-and-answer period that was held in the gym after the demonstration took place, first responder Dru Valdez stated that what happened in the scenario outside was exactly the way that the actions would have taken place if it had been real. 

The students that were involved in the mock accident were asked if it made them think twice about driving while intoxicated and they all stated that it was something that stayed with them and they would make sure that they would stay safe for prom. 

Student Destiny Gomez who planned to attend prom on Saturday, April 12, was asked how she felt about seeing her classmates in the mock accident. “It’s tragic honestly. I have never lost anybody in a car accident, but I’ve lost people, and I can only imagine how it feels to lose people like that.” 

County coroner Stephen Hunzeker told the students that it is part of his job to notify families of the next step after a death. “These kinds of things are devastating to the families and to the communities. As you go into this weekend have a heck of a good time, make memories with your friends, but do it safely and be smart.”  

The students left the gym after signing a paper and taking an oath not to drink and drive on Saturday for prom.  

The Monte Vista High School thanks all the first responders who attended the demonstration, including the ambulance, officers, firefighters, the coroner, and everyone involved in helping make the demonstration possible to help keep Monte Vista High School students safe for prom.