TEENAGERS learnt about the devastating consequences of risk-related trauma from a road accident survivor during a trauma prevention program at the Mount Gambier Hospital yesterday.
St Martins Lutheran College Year 11 students participated in the Prevent Alcohol and Risk-Related Trauma in Youth (PARTY) program and heard from Jack Annear, who survived a triple fatality crash on the outskirts of the city a decade ago.
“No one expects to be in a car accident – we were doing our normal thing on a Friday night,” Mr Annear said, describing the lead up to the split-second decision that would change his life.
“I was in my gap year and after I finished my shift at work that night I went for a drive with my mates – we did a few mainies, went to McDonald’s and had a call from another mate to pick him up and give him a lift home.
“On our way back into town our car was t-boned at somewhere between 100 and 110km per hour.”
Mr Annear, who has been involved in the PARTY program for three years, said his message to students was “three seconds can change your life”.
“In my case both drivers were doing the right thing – they hadn’t been drinking and they were dropping their mates home,” he said.
“They had no alcohol or drugs in their systems – it was a genuine accident and we were all in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“When I tell my story I always say ‘stop if you’re unsure, if something doesn’t feel right, think about it for three seconds before you proceed.’
“If one kid walks away from this program and takes that extra three seconds at a stop sign and that prevents an accident I figure I have done what I intended to do.”
Mr Annear said experiencing significant road trauma was life changing.
“The accident was 11 years ago this November and while time heals all wounds and it gets easier to tell the story, I struggled with PTSD for years,” he said.
“It was only very recently when I came across a psychologist who had a treatment known as EMDR that I got on top of that.”
Students participated in a simulated emergency scenario where they cared for a young male involved in a high speed crash.
“We highlighted the lifesaving care that would have been delivered in that scenario and the fact that sometimes injuries are too severe,” PARTY program state coordinator Lauren Rogers explained.
“We find the program is eye opening for students – we give them a clinical idea about care for a trauma patient and empower them to make choices to keep themselves and the people around them safe.
“The PARTY program is delivered between four and six times a year in Mount Gambier and we hope it transforms students’ thinking when it comes to risk-taking behaviour and reminds them to make sensible choices.”
Year 11 student Chelsea said she would take the “three seconds” message home.
“To be part of the simulated emergency was definitely pretty confronting and hearing the real life story from Jack made me realise this can really happen to anyone.
“One decision can change your whole life.
“I would never want this to happen to anyone I know or to me, so I will take that three seconds if I’m ever unsure about a decision.”
