05/07/2026
Did you hear that helicopter today?
Today, organizations from not only the Highlands Area School District and St. Joes School District, but all over Allegheny County and beyond embarked on a journey to bring the #2026 Mock Crash to our district's Junior and Senior classes. The Mock Crash was formed to bring awareness to students ahead of their Prom Season to highlight the dangers of driving while impaired or distracted.
We are very grateful for the hard work that our Volunteer Fire Departments and local EMS agencies put in every day- every time you hear the whistles blow they respond to unknown calls and serve their communities however they can. Police Officers from Fawn Township, Tarentum Borough Police Department, Port Authority Police Department, and Harrison Township Police Department pulled together to help the event run smoothly. The Highlands Drama Club did a great job in making this come together.
Thank you to Terry's Towing and Gillette's Towing for providing the vehicles for today's crash.
Following the Mock Crash, Students from both Highlands School District and St. Joseph High School split into two groups and attended various activities to highlight the dangers of impaired and distracted driving. These activities included hands-on driving courses, individual field sobriety testing with intoxicated goggles, and a presentation section which included a panel of VERY experienced professionals in this field including Pamela Ondash of MADD, James Erb of Citizens Hose EMS, Kelly Naik of the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office, Officer David Antal of Tarentum Borough Police Department who has accident reconstruction certifications, and Officer Ryan Signorella of our very own department, who, by the way, recently completed a grueling three week course hosted by the PA DUI Association called "Drug Recognition Expert".
Thank you to Harrison Township resident and photographer Don Klinsky for photographing the event.
In addition to the educational benefits and experience for the students, events like these strengthen the relationships between all of the agencies and provide them with a rare opportunity to work on coordination, communication, and teamwork in a training environment.
It speaks volumes that all of these agencies were able to come together to achieve a common goal and we look forward to our next one! Check out the attached photos!
Highlands School District
Saint Joseph High School
Tarentum Borough Police Department & K-9 Unit
Allegheny County District Attorney
Citizens Hose Fire/Rescue/EMS
Hilltop Hose Company #3
Summit Hose Company
Harrison Hills VFC #4
Pennsylvania DUI Association
Eureka Fire-Rescue Station 281
Allegheny County District Attorney
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)
Allegheny County Health Department
Terry's Towing Service
Ron Gillette, Inc. Towing & More
LifeFlight
Don Klinsky Fine Art Photography LLC