Editor's note: The following events are part of "Operation Grad Night," a mock DUI crash scene Tuesday at Sandpoint High School, attended by all area seniors from Sandpoint, Clark Fork, Priest River, Lake Pend Oreille and Forrest M. Bird Charter high schools.

By MARY MALONE

Staff writer

SANDPOINT — It is a mother's worst nightmare. Seeing one of her twin daughters lying over the hood of a car, blood staining the white paint of the Oldsmobile Cutlass. Her other daughter cries out, hoping it's not true; hoping it is all a terrible nightmare.

Amy Clark would never see her sister, April, alive again. All of this pain and loss, simply because the teen driver of another car made one bad decision — to get behind the wheel after drinking at a party.

Luckily for the Clark family, and the families of the other Bonner County high school seniors involved in the "crash," this was a mock DUI scenario acted out for Operation Grad Night. But for Cathy Clark, it felt all too real. With tears streaming down her face, she embraced her daughters when the scenario was over. Although she tried to prepare herself, she said seeing her daughters that way was "terrible."

"I don't want any family to have to go through that, or get the phone call or someone coming to the door to say something has happened to one of your children," Cathy Clark said, asking the students not to "please" not drink and drive. "You have your whole lives ahead of you."

The 17th annual Operation Grad Night was held Tuesday in the Sandpoint High School parking lot. Eight teens volunteered to be the victims in an attempt to help educate, illustrate and prevent the dangers of drunken driving, aggressive and inattentive or distracted driving. The event is attended by all Bonner County high school seniors and is a graduation requirement for Sandpoint and Priest River seniors.

The 2018 Operation Grad Night scenario:

T.J. Henderson, a senior at Clark Fork High School, was driving a tan Toyota Camry with passengers Haily Grant, also a senior at CFHS, and Lake Pend Oreille High School seniors Samantha Bobby and Teagen Dieter. They had been drinking beer and taking shots at a party near Laclede. The group was heading to another party on Baldy Mountain Road and as Henderson headed east on Highway 2, he attempted to pass another car on a blind corner near Wrenco Loop.

He ran ran head-on into the white car occupied the Clark twins, who are seniors at Sandpoint High School, as well as Priest River Lamanna High School seniors Randy Stuart and Kayley Petek.

April Clark, who was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident as she took off her sweatshirt, was thrown through the windshield and died on impact. Amy Clark had a fractured humerus, but did not sustain any life-threatening injuries. Petek and Stuart were also unbuckled, with both receiving broken bones and multiple lacerations, and Petek suffering a severe concussion.

In the other car, Grant suffered minor injuries, as did Henderson who was arrested at the scene. His other passengers, however, did not fare so well. With a fractured skull and broken spine, Dieter was unresponsive when emergency crews arrived. He was airlifted from the scene to Kootenai Health. Bobby, Dieter's girlfriend, sustained spinal and pelvic fractures in the crash and died on the way to the hospital.

Bonner County seniors watched as their classmates were taken away one by one in ambulances, a helicopter and a hearse. They listened as the victims' stories were told — past accomplishments and future dreams. Some would recover and accomplish those dreams, while others would not.

As a participant in the mock scenario, Bobby said it hit her when they read Dieter's biography and took him out of the car.

"At that point, I started crying and it hit me — it felt real," Bobby said.

While Tuesday's event was a simulation, DUI crashes are real and they are all too common.

Idaho State Police Trooper Jonathan Cushman said in 2014, there were 9,967 alcohol-related fatality crashes in the United States, with 290,000 injury crashes. In Idaho there were 1,378 impairment crashes with 72 fatalities and 1,053 injuries. In Bonner County that year, there were 49 impairment crashes, killing five people and injuring 34.

"People die every year, all over the place, and we are trying to put an end to that," Cushman said.

Since Operation Grad Night started 17 years ago, Sandpoint Police officer and school resource officer Spencer Smith said there have been zero fatalities or serious crashes on prom night or graduation.

"I know parts of it seem out of place, surreal, but I can guarantee you that's exactly how it goes down," Smith told the seniors. "I have responded to those crashes; I have pulled kids out of those cars."

Both Smith and Priest River's SRO, Sgt. Chris Davis, told the students to call them if they ever need a ride. Davis said he gave a ride to some former students recently, who are now 21, and called him because they remembered his words from the mock DUI years ago to do that rather than putting their lives, or the lives of others, in danger.

"You never want to have to go to that house and tell that family that they are not coming home," Davis said. "I would rather have you guys be annoying in my car, and hope you don't puke, than to have to go to your house."

Makayla Sundquist, a 2014 SHS graduate, also spoke to the students about the drunk driver who hit her head-on on the Long Bridge three years ago. Although she has made the speech before, as she stood up in front of the seniors, she said it never gets any easier. Tears came to her eyes as she described how it changed her life, how she will never play soccer — her favorite sport — again, because her leg was crushed in the accident and is now secured by rods in her femur and tibia.

"That person took something from me that day," Sundquist said. "They took something from me that day that I am working on getting back ... I'm not up here asking for your pity, I've had enough of that. I'm here to stir responsibility. I'm here to stir action. I'm here for you to remember the consequences, because I didn't think this would happen to me. I never thought I would be a statistic. But here I am, and I hope that me standing up here can prevent this for each of you. Please, never drink and drive."

Mary Malone can be reached by email at mmalone@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.