Ghost Out program educates students on impaired driving at Greenwood High School

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Students at Greenwood High School received a surprise visit from the Grim Reaper.

It’s part of the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety’s Ghost Out which encourages students to avoid impaired driving.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of teenage fatalities.

Over one-third of these fatalities are related to alcohol.

As of April 24th, 2019, 188 people have died on Kentucky roads and 12 of those were people ranging from 10-19 years old.

During the Ghost Out, a student dressed as the Grim Reaper picks students from their rooms as victims of impaired driving accidents.

Once removed from the classroom, they begin writing their own obituary or typing it on a computer.

Students include their name, age, school and immediate family members.

One senior, Myron Salvador, says students must resist the temptation to drink and drive at all times.

The school presented a mock funeral for the students at 1;00 p.m. during an afternoon assembly.

Their classmates watched as each chosen student was laid to rest.

Last year, 725 people died in collisions on Kentucky roads.