If you heard emergency sirens near UToledo’s Health Science Campus last Friday morning, there was no need for alarm. It was a scene designed to make you think.
UToledo Health hosted a Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over press conference and mock crash simulation on Aug. 7, joining the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department, the OVI Task Force, Lucas County Safe Communities Coalition and City of Toledo Vision Zero to drive home the dangers of impaired driving ahead of the late summer holiday weekend.
UToledo Health joined local law enforcement and health agencies to stage a realistic drunk driving crash simulation outside the Lloyd A. Jacobs Interprofessional Immersive Simulation Center.
Following a press conference featuring trauma surgeons, emergency department staff and law enforcement, the event moved outside the simulation center where a staged single-vehicle crash unfolded in real time.
UToledo neuroscience senior Laya Gokula portrayed the injured driver, covered in moulage wounds, while University of Toledo Police officers secured the scene and EMS personnel from Maumee Fire and Rescue responded, assessed and stabilized her before transporting her inside where a full trauma team took over.
A live radio report between EMS and the trauma bay, broadcast through wireless microphones, allowed the audience to hear exactly how a real trauma activation unfolds.
“We see firsthand the devastating impact that impaired driving can have on individuals, families and entire communities,” said Julia Benfield, clinical nursing director of University of Toledo Medical Center’s Emergency Department. “Every preventable crash represents a life changed in an instant.”
For the clinical staff who participated, the simulation reflected a reality they navigate regularly.
“Before you go out with friends for drinks, let someone know who can come pick you up if needed,” Gokula said after the simulation. “Know what’s best for you as far as drinking and where your limits are.”
Benfield echoed that call to action beyond just the individual.
“Talk with your family, friends, coworkers and neighbors,” she said. “Make a plan before celebrating. Offer a safe ride. Speak up when someone is considering driving impaired. Your decision could save a life.”
UTMC is the region’s primary adult Level II Trauma Center and its trauma team regularly cares for patients injured in serious motor vehicle crashes.
