RESCUE: A young male driver is rescued from a crashed car by members of the emergency services during the live crash demo in the INEC car park on Tuesday morning. Photo: Michelle Crean

By Michelle Crean

The reality of a serious car crash brought home the impact to almost 1,500 Kerry students on Tuesday morning – as emergency services simulated a live road crash in the INEC car park.

Secondary school students from throughout Kerry, including schools from Killarney, witnessed the rescue efforts by dedicated members of the emergency services at the AXA Road Safety Roadshow. The event began at 10.30am with presentations by Gardaí, members of Kerry Fire Service and medical staff from emergency departments including a surgeon, who have all experienced the impact of fatal crashes on Kerry’s roads.

And the event was a huge success, explained Dan Keane from the Kerry Fire Service, who was a speaker on the day.

“Killarney Fire Service did a display and supplied the car,” Dan told the Killarney Advertiser.

“We had a young male driver, an actor, who was brought to safety. The Gardai went through the statistics by county and the country explaining that it was young male drivers who are most at risk. Peter McCarthy from the Traffic Corp described the whole ordeal while Eugene Tangney, a paramedic, told some scenarios.”

[caption id="attachment_29134" align="alignleft" width="300"] SAFETY FIRST: Students from Presentation Killarney Saoirse Coffey, Carrie Hickey, Kate Lawlor and Jenny Cronin pictured with Sinead Galvin (Killarney Fire Service), Diane Collins (Killarney Community Policing Unit), Dan Keane (Kerry Fire Service) and Martin Grady (Killarney Fire Service) at the live crash demo in the INEC car park on Tuesday morning. Photo: Michelle Crean[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_29133" align="alignleft" width="300"] ON THE SCENE: Students from Presentation Killarney and St Brendan's College pictured with emergency service personnel at the live crash demo in the INEC car park on Tuesday morning. Photo: Michelle Crean[/caption]

Dan himself spoke as a First Responder followed by the surgeon, while a woman from North Kerry spoke about her son who died in similar circumstances.

“The simulation was about showing the kids roughly what we deal with. What we’re trying to do is give them an idea what we do and what we deal with. It’s great for them to see it but more should be done and more regularly.”