“Ghost Out” Comes to Warren East High School

Students at a Warren County High School are getting a taste of what happens when they drive impaired…

Not to scare, but to make clear that one preventable mistake is not worth their lives…

Starting at 8:00 am this morning, students at Warren East High School experienced a "ghost out" to their surprise.

"Ghost Out" is an impaired driving awareness program.

Angie Smith, the Warren East High School Youth Services Center Coordinator, led the charge for the event.

She says it’s important to start educating students early on when they’re first exposed to dangers like drugs, alcohol.

Coordinated by the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety, the program uses a student dressed as the Grim Reaper.

The Reaper then goes to classrooms where he selects a student that represents a victim of impaired driving.

After being removed from class, the selected students write their obituary which will be used in a mock funeral at 1:00 PM.

Classmates of the chosen students will then watch as the "victims" are laid to rest, one by one.

We also spoke to Theresa Martinez, a mother who lost her 23-year-old daughter Ashley Martinez on April 29th, 2012 to a drunk driver.

Martinez is a Volunteer for the Mothers Against Drunk Driving, a social services organization in Bowling Green.

She tells us she hopes her story and today’s ghost out inspires students not to make the same mistake.

Martinez has also visited other schools and used her daughter’s story to inspire other students to live safer lives.