“The point is to give the kids something visual,” said Bryant McConnell, director of operations at the Job Corps.
In 1998, Michael Banner, a former Job Corps student, was killed in a car crash as a result of drunken driving.
The Job Corps has put on this staged crash every June since 2006 to send the message that if you drink and drive, you can be a victim.
“We harp on our students making better choices here at the Job Corps,” McConnell said.
The Job Corps was established in 1977 and includes 300 students, ages 16-24. The students can earn diplomas or GEDs and they also have classes in more than 100 trades. They earn a small stipend each month for attending and receive $1,200 for graduating.
The mock accident was set up by the teachers and students at the Job Corps with the help of the Jefferson Twp. Fire Department, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Guest speaker Mary Curtis spoke about her experience after her son, Nick Goings, was killed in 2006 as a result of a drunken driving accident.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2178 or jjeter-davis@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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