NEW BERLIN – As the days leading to graduation are being counted, the threat of student celebrations being mired by destructive decisions grows greater.

Graduation is a joyous occasion that can quickly turn tragic if the wrong decisions are made. Relaying the message to over 100 students on the front lawn of Unadilla Valley Thursday were teachers, law enforcement, members of Mothers Against Destructive Decisions and of the Youth Bureau, student members of ADSIT and drivers education and a handful of lawyers.

Two cars were placed as though there had been an accident involving several teenagers, one of whom was visibly intoxicated. Some of the students stumbled from the crashed vehicle, but one student wasn’t as lucky and “died” from her injuries.

The mock crash even went as far to place the driver, played by Valarie Gonyou, under arrest following a field sobriety test and put her in a mock jail cell. A judge, depicted by District Attorney Joseph McBride, held an arraignment with a mock speech from a member of the victims impact panel. A funeral, complete with a casket, followed.