Why a Georgia student arrived at prom in a casket: Explaining the viral video

Tiffany Sherrod | WXIA-TV, Atlanta

Show Caption Hide Caption Teen arrives to prom inside casket Clark arrived to her senior prom in a hearse on Saturday at Americus Sumter High School. She took the short, five to 10-minute ride from the funeral home to school, which has since gone viral.

AMERICUS, Ga. — A high school girl from Georgia arrived to prom in a casket, and videos of the reveal have since gone viral.

"I was shocked," Alexandrea Clark told 11Alive over Skype Monday. "I didn't know that it was going to go that viral."

Clark arrived to her senior prom in a hearse on Saturday at Americus Sumter High School. She took the short, five to 10-minute ride from the funeral home to school. She said her vision for her grand entrance was two years in the making.

She told 11Alive she did it in-part to encourage her classmates to not drink and drive.

"I was thinking about my class and how they are going to prom and doing the bad stuff after prom; like having drugs and doing all that," she said.

The teen has been working at the West Mortuary in Americus for the last two years. While the idea of arriving in a casket might seem morbid, Clark said her message wasn't meant to be offensive.

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"This is just what I do, and this is my career that I plan on doing and I love what I do," she explained. "I love being around people and helping others. And it's not to disrespect anybody.”

Clark, who wants to be a funeral director, will be attending Ogeechee Technical College in the Fall and has gotten phone calls from funeral directors in Georgia, offering her internships and help while she is in school.