‘Please help’ victim pleads with 9-1-1 operator
Marshal High students witness mock crash with real-life response
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MARSHALL -- The football game had just ended. Students were heading home, grabbing food, or meeting out with friends. Meanwhile, a party was already underway. Photos, videos, and messages were spreading quickly over Snapchat, and more students started showing up.
The music was loud. People were laughing and having a great time. Most of the students were drinking or vaping. What seemed like a fun night was about to change in an instant.
Only an hour after they arrived, four friends -- Jackson, Cannon, Maddie, and Danielle -- decided it was time to leave. Danielle needed to get home before curfew, and the others were really drunk and needed help getting home before they got sick.
Cannon volunteered to drive. He told his friends he was fine and that he could get everyone home safely. Cannon had been drinking, even though he didn’t feel impaired. Alcohol had already affected his judgment, reaction time, and ability to focus. He was also the only person wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.
Bailey was speeding, but she was having a blast with the music loud and lots of laughs when she got a snap from the party. She looked down at her phone to show Aaron and Aaliyah the hilarious snap. Aaron unbuckled and leaned over to see Bailey’s phone. The car swerved a bit. At the same time, Cannon raced back to Marshall to get Danielle home on time. He didn’t know it, but the car had been swarming the whole way home.
Danielle begged Cannon to stop and let her out of the car. She even unhooked her seatbelt so that she could be ready to get out once he slowed down. Bailey got another snap and was looking down and lost control of the car. Cannon swerved, even though he was driving after only a couple beers.
All of sudden, the loud noise of two vehicles blared out. What happen next was lots of confusion.
The scene was described by Marshall High School students Sara Dallmann and Kael Frana who are involved with ACTS (Against Chemicals, Tobacco, and Substance abuse). They were standing below the Lyon County grandstand next to two crashed up vehicles. One crash victim laid with half of his body through the windshield and on the hood of one of the vehicle. The driver of that vehicle stumbled out and walked aimlessly around the vehicle.
A victim in the second vehicle also stumbled out and made the 9-1-1 call.
The stands were full of 9-12 grade students who were witnessing a mock crash set up by ACTS with the help of school officials, the fire department and law enforcement.
"I’m so confused. Please, please help me," Bailey tells the 9-1-1 operator. "I don’t know what’s going on. Please help."
The operator asks for her location. But Bailey acts confused and is not sure of her location. But she did tell the operator she was on Highway 19 and she said "We hit somebody."
The students in the stands could then hear the police scanner go off with the call to Marshall Fire and Marshall North Ambulance going out for second truck needed for a two-vehicle accident with multiple injuries.
Marshall Fire Chief Quentin Brunsvold and Marshall Police Department Sgt. Ben Rieke step out in front of the scene.
"Boys and girls, what you just heard was a 9-1-1 page that went through to the Marshall Fire Department, to the Marshall Police Department, Lyon County Sheriff’s Department, State Patrol, and North Ambulance to respond to this incident that you’re now witnessing," Brunsvold told the students.
The sounds of sirens then followed and first responder vehicles soon arrived and crews and officers jumped out to respond to the scene.
As more responders arrive and crew worked on freeing victims trapped in the mangled up vehicles, Brunsvold and Rieke described everything to the students as the mock scene unfolds in front of them.
"At this time, there’s many things going through the responders’ heads," Brunsvold said. "What are we going into? We have lots of things to consider. Blocking traffic. Obviously, we have the welfare of the people that are involved that we’re working through, waiting for police to show up."
Rieke says initially responders are going to be looking at medical procedures. Despite what seems like eternity, Brunsvold tells the students that responders will typically arrive within 30 seconds
As the two talked, an officer is conducting a field sobriety test on Cannon.
Seconds later, Rieke announces that officers determine "there's enough suspicion" of DWI and Cannon is placed under arrest. At the same time, responders are using tools to pry open the car doors open to free the other victims.
Reike also explained that Jackson, the victim motionless on the hood of the one vehicle is "obviously deceased" and responders lay a tarp over him.
Minutes later, one of Jackson's parents shows up screaming and running toward the scene only to be met by an officers who work to escort her away.
As responders work on the victims inside the vehicle, Brunsvold explains the removal of the deceased begins.
"We are now waiting for the mortician or for the funeral director to arrive to take that person to the funeral home," he said.
Not long later, the hearse arrives.
After the mock crash scenario finished, Brunsvold and Rieke answered questions from the students. Marshall High School Principal Brian Jones told students that the mock crash is conducted every four years so all students experience it before graduating.
Marshall High School nurse Gina Webb said ACTS is student-led and the students play a big part in the planning process.
"We started planning in spring, and we started having some meetings over the summer," She said