West Harrison High students promise to stay safe ahead of prom night

HARRISON COUNTY, Miss (WXXV) – Students at West Harrison High made a promise during an annual demonstration leading up to prom night. A promise to return back to school.

“Prom promise is seniors making a promise not drink and drive after they leave prom,” Othell Adkins Jr. said.  “I understand the value of life; I’ve lost a lot of lives even at a young age and I understand that the loss and tragic and grieving of a family is not something that you have.”

A student-created mock funeral was held Wednesday, raising awareness while giving their peers a firsthand look can happen when driving distracted. Fabiana Sirit said, “We did this for everybody to be aware of the dangers of texting and driving we did this because we care for all the students. We want them to come back on Monday.”

First responders also participated in the mock funeral. Harrison County Fire Chief Pat Sullivan says, “It’s a reminder of the seriousness of distracted driving, drinking driving and what can happen on prom night. And it’s the fear that most parents have is that then way turn their children loose or kids lose on prom night that something like this can happen.”

“It was a little bit of impacting because it felt real. Like you had the feeling of like he’s really dead. It was something that impacted everybody.”

You never know what the weather might bring on prom night and that’s exactly why staying focused and not driving distracted behind the wheel will save lives. “We have not had a major incident with this school during prom night in years,” said Chief Sullivan.  “And I think and I’m hoping and I pray that what we do is a small part of getting the message across to the kids yes this is serious and none of us want to be here. None of us want to be in this kind of situation out on the street.”