Conroe students put on 'Walking Dead' style makeup to teach life-saving lesson



Students a Conroe High School recently participated in "Shattered Lives" a nonprofit program that teaches kids the consequences of drinking while driving. Students a Conroe High School recently participated in "Shattered Lives" a nonprofit program that teaches kids the consequences of drinking while driving. Photo: Chloe Paige Photo: Chloe Paige Image 1 of / 44 Caption Close Conroe students put on 'Walking Dead' style makeup to teach life-saving lesson 1 / 44 Back to Gallery

On Friday, students at Conroe High School received a hyper-realistic demonstration of the dangers of drinking while driving.

Unlike programs that many people might remember growing up— an ancient VHS tape lecturing students— Montgomery County-based nonprofit "Shattered Lives" pulls out all the stops.

Students participate in a two-day program that ultimately involves local sheriff's deputies, EMS workers and firefighters all working together at the scene of a fake crash with destroyed vehicles.

In front of an audience of their fellow classmates, students caked in bloody Hollywood makeup are pulled out of wrecked cars with real first responders buzzing around them.

Some of the students are "arrested," while others are put in body bags after an attempted resuscitation.

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At Conroe High School's demonstration, the showrunners went as far as flying a student off in a helicopter to treat their realistic-looking injuries.

Other parts of the program have students and families reading mock obituaries as well as listening to guest speakers who were real victims of drunk driving.

According to Principal Dr. Mark Weatherly, students at Conroe High responded positively to the morbid scene.

"It's about making poor choices and the impact of those poor choices," Weatherly said of the program. "The symbolism is, this is the impact of poor decisions. In ten seconds, drunk driving can kill you, or kill somebody else."

See photos of the fake crash scene put together by Shattered Lives to educate kids on drunk driving.

Fernando Ramirez is a reporter for Chron.com and the Houston Chronicle. You can read more of his stories here and follow him on Twitter at @fernramirez93.