Katie Holcroft wore a neon orange prison jumpsuit when she recounted the tale of her whirlwind week as a distracted teen driver:
She was led away in cuffs from a pile of twisted metal and placed in the back of a police squad car. She saw classmates bloodied, one lifeless under a sheet. She was "convicted" of two counts of felony vehicular homicide. During sentencing, she faced a judge and the screams of a mother grieving the loss of a toddler.
Holcroft, the president of Chattahoochee High School's chapter of Students Against Destructive Decisions, took on the lead role of a texting teen in an elaborate production last week that spanned four days to show young drivers how quickly poor decisions behind the wheel can change their lives.
The production, called Ghost Out, gives teens a realistic look at a fatal accident from crash to funeral.
"Doing this is really eye-opening and heartbreaking," said Holcroft, who portrayed the distraught "Lisa Hoffman," a teen driver whose two-letter text message lands her in jail for killing two people. "I was sitting in the back of the cop car crying. If all of the students in the school could experience what I have experienced in these three days, it would help so many people. Driving distracted for even a second can ruin a person's life."
Ghost Out began jarringly with students being called out of class by a police officer and an undertaker who arrived unexpectedly at the door. The teens were told they were victims of a fatal car crash and would be ghosts for the day. Their faces were coated with ghoulish makeup to help them and their classmates understand the randomness of teen driving fatalities. The ghosts had to be silent for the remainder of the day.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 3,000 people were killed in 2010 in distracted-driving crashes. The problem is most prevalent for teens. Sixteen percent of teen drivers involved in a fatal crash were reported to have been distracted, statistics show.
“I have been here 14 years, and unfortunately, I have had the opportunity to know several students who have passed away due to distracted driving,” principal Tim Duncan said. “It changes many lives forever.”
Many metro area schools use programs like Ghost Out to teach teens about safe driving.
Chattahoochee expanded its program to four days for impact, and it purposely staged the crash and its effects during prom and graduation season to remind students to stay safe. (Chattahoochee held its prom Saturday at Fernbank. Graduation is May 20.)
Ghost Out's final three days at Chattahoochee followed the fatal accident caused by "Hoffman" after she texted her parents the word “OK.” Students heard a recording of a 911 call and were led to a smoking crash scene.
The expanded program involving 80 volunteers made it become more like a reality show for students because of the participation of a cast of public servants who are actually involved in the aftermath of teen accidents. David Kirkland of SouthCare Cremation Society and Memorial Centers brought a hearse and two coffins. Dr. Arthur Griffiths, who works at Emory Johns Creek, cared for the injured. Johns Creek Chief Municipal Court Judge Donald Schaefer presided over the mock courtroom.
The prosecutor, played by a Render Freeman, a lawyer and Chattahoochee parent, sought the maximum sentence of 45 years for "Hoffman."
"Hoffman's" attorney, played by teacher Garrett Abelkop, asked for leniency. "We beg the court not to ruin an entire life because of a simple mistake. ... We expect the families of the victim to sue. As you know, she was a minor driving a vehicle titled in her parents’ names; her parents are personally, financially liable," he said. "This will probably bankrupt them.”
The mother of the toddler killed in the crash erupted with rage when "Hoffman" tried to apologize.
Seconds later, students, who had already witnessed the wake for a pretend classmate killed in the crash, then were led through the toddler's funeral, where an angel rested on a tiny casket. Mourners dressed in black looked weary and forlorn. Some actors dabbed at real tears.
Afterward, as Holcroft ate lunch with the cast, Schaefer told her "Hoffman" actually may have done time.
Holcroft just got her driver’s license about two weeks ago.
“My parents told me not to text and drive,” she said. “I don’t even risk it. I keep my phone in the trunk.”
