Conard Students Participate in Intense and Emotional Program About Impaired Driving

Published On: April 30, 2026Categories: Government, Police/Fire, Schools

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The West Hartford FIre Department and West Hartford Police Department conducted a live demonstration of a potential aftermath of an impaired driving crash to Conard juniors and seniors on April 29, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

On Wednesday, students at West Hartford’s Conard High School participated in ‘The Flip Side of Prom’ – an educational campaign and safety pledge designed to support teen drivers as they enter prom and graduation season.

Carri Roux of the Luke Roux Foundation speaks to Conard juniors and seniors following “The Flip Side of Prom” demonstration by West Hartford Police and Fire Department members. April 29, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

By Ronni Newton

May is prom season for high school juniors and seniors in West Hartford, and along with upcoming graduation and summer celebrations, statistics indicate this is the most dangerous time of the year for teens on the roads.

At Conard High School on Wednesday morning, a multi-part program demonstrated to juniors and seniors not only what the aftermath of an impaired driving crash might look like, but also offered a real world perspective from Carri Roux of the Luke Roux Foundation about the devastating impact of driving under the influence.

“The Flip Side of Prom” included a live simulation of what happens when West Hartford police and firefighters respond to a car crash – in this case a mock crash staged in the parking lot outside Conard’s gym. The scenario was acted out by students from the theater program who portrayed a group of teen friends out for a night of fun that ends badly when the driver – who had been drinking – is involved in a crash, leaving one friend severely injured and trapped inside the destroyed vehicle.

Four teens – student actors Graeham Rogers, Miles Low, Grace Mancini, and Lila Krajc – stand outside the shattered car, looking stunned. “I told you not to drink. I told you not to drive,” the teens said to each other. Then … “Joey’s still in the car.” They can’t get the door open, and they call 911.

In the demonstration – as they would in a real situation – police quickly arrive at the scene, followed by fire trucks with firefighter/paramedics, and an ambulance. It’s loud and chaotic, with sirens blaring and the sound of a generator powering tools as firefighters go to work removing the doors from the car in order to extricate the fifth teen – the “victim” – which for the purpose of the simulation is a manikin.

Student Graeham Rogers wears impairment goggles to take a field sobriety test. The West Hartford FIre Department and West Hartford Police Department conducted a live demonstration of a potential aftermath of an impaired driving crash to Conard juniors and seniors on April 29, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Police soon identify the driver – portrayed by Rogers, a Conard senior – and the crowd watches as he is given a field sobriety test. And Rogers experiences an added dose of reality when he dons impairment goggles and is asked to walk a straight line.

The driver fails the sobriety test and is led away in handcuffs, as the victim receives some preliminary medical attention at the scene from first responders, and then is loaded into an ambulance.

Graeham Rogers, in the role of the driver, takes a field sobriety test. The West Hartford FIre Department and West Hartford Police Department conducted a live demonstration of a potential aftermath of an impaired driving crash to Conard juniors and seniors on April 29, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Rogers said he definitely experienced the intensity of the situation during the live demonstration, and even though he knew he was going to take the sobriety test, he said, “You can only be so ready for it.” He said once he had the goggles on, “I might has well have been doing it with my eyes closed. It’s very difficult to balance. It sure throws you off your game.”

Rogers said he thought the entire experience was impactful for all who were there.

The rest of the Conard students – who had been laughing and joking when they first gathered outside on a sunny morning – watched silently as the scenario played out.

While what they saw in the parking lot was an extremely realistic simulation, students then gathered in the Conard gym to hear a true story about the horrific consequences of impaired driving, and the serious and life-altering impact that can result. Carri Roux, mother of Luke Roux and co-founder of the Luke Roux Foundation, spoke to the students about what happened to her son Luke in June 2022.

Carri Roux said her story was not just a simulation. “My story isn’t just about tragedy. It’s a story about choices, responsibility, and the consequences from one bad decision. How they can just change countless lives.”

It hits very close to home for the Conard students. While the Roux family lived in Farmington, they were also very much part of the West Hartford community, and were very active in West Hartford Youth Hockey. Luke played for the West Hartford Wolves for many years, and his father, Steve, was a coach.

It was 11 days after his graduation from Farmington High School, a few months before he was to begin his freshman year at UConn, and Luke was driving home from playing in a baseball game at Tunxis Mead Park, just 10 minutes from his home. Carri said she had watched the game, but they had taken two cars and she had gone home, walked the dog, and was waiting for Luke to return. She started worrying when he didn’t arrive, and then checked his phone location, which showed him in a nearby intersection. And she kept checking and the phone’s location wasn’t moving. “So I got in my car and drove to the intersection,” she said, unaware that her world would soon be shattered.

Luke’s car had been struck by an intoxicated driver who ran a red light, and according to reports was traveling at a speed of more than 80mph. That 21-year-old driver – who had graduated from Farmington High School four years earlier – had been tailgating before a concert at the Live Nation Xfinity Theater, but denied entrance to the concert by Live Nation employees because he was so intoxicated. Roux said can’t understand the series of events that happened next, why no one intervened, why he wasn’t sent to the medical tent, why his friends – who had to pull him out of a port-a-potty after he passed out – didn’t stop him from getting behind the wheel to go home.

The light had been red for 18 seconds, Roux said, when the driver sped through and hit Luke’s car, which was traveling just 17mph. “He was still accelerating as he entered the intersection.” The car’s black box indicated that the driver did not even slow down until 0.7 seconds before impact, Roux said.

Carri Roux shares some letters written by the impaired driver who killed her son in 2022 during a presentation to Conard juniors and seniors following “The Flip Side of Prom” demonstration by West Hartford Police and Fire Department members. April 29, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

The driver, Jacob Coffey, pled guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in a high-security prison. “After about a year, I wrote him a letter and asked him if he had anything he wanted students to hear, something that could help prevent another family from going through this,” Roux said. Coffey responded, and a year later, when she wrote asking the same question, he responded again. “What he sent back were not excuses, they’re warnings, honest, direct, and meant to make you think before you make a choice that you can’t take back,” she said.

She shared Coffey’s words – about how he didn’t think the warnings he had heard in high school applied to him because he didn’t drink, and when he later started to drink he thought he was smart enough not to drive impaired, but how he then he saw his friends driving drunk and not having a problem. His advice in the letters was to seek help in other ways, rather than turning to alcohol, and to make responsible choices.

“I don’t share Jacob’s words to excuse what he did,” Roux said. “I share them because we want you to learn from his mistake.”

The wrecked car from the simulation now sits in front of the Conard High School sign on Beechwood Road. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

While the simulation showed the effects of a crash, it can’t show the judgement, the decision-making, she said. “Impairment is deceptive. It tricks our brains into believing that you’re in control,” and that false confidence leads people to think it’s okay to get behind the wheel.

She urged students to enjoy prom, to take photos, to laugh with friends. “Don’t let your prom be a night to remember because something went wrong, not a night that changes someone’s life forever.”

The Luke Roux Foundation spreads this message: “If and when you ever choose to drink, be proactive. Never drive impaired. Always have a safe way home planned before that first drink.”

The Luke Roux Foundation distributed Kindness Cards and bracelets, as well as other items, to Conard juniors and seniors following “The Flip Side of Prom” demonstration by West Hartford Police and Fire Department members. April 29, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

The right decision might not always be an easy one, Roux said. Through the Luke Roux Foundation’s “SafeGrad SafeRide” impaired driving prevention initiative – a partnership with Uber established earlier this year – all Conard seniors will receive a $25 Uber voucher at the Safe Grad celebration. “Hold on to this voucher. Use it to make the safe choice, whether it’s for you or someone you care about. … If you ever decide to drink, plan ahead before that first drink, because once alcohol is in your system, your judgement is not what it should be. This isn’t a gift. It’s a tool, a tool to help you protect your future,” Roux said.

“Kids often think that situations like this won’t happen to them, until it does,” said Ofc. Tim Reardon, Conard’s School Resource Officer. While most Conard students take buses to prom, and for more than 40 years the school has had a substance-free Safe Grad celebration the night of graduation, there is still concern about after parties and other celebrations, Reardon said.

School Resource Officer Tim Reardon (left) and Andrew Eccles of the West Hartford Fire Department. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

The Flip Side of Prom was a collaborative effort between West Hartford Public Schools, the police and fire departments, and the Luke Roux Foundation. The Foundation passed out “Kindness Cards” to all who attended, encouraging everyone to spread random acts of kindness, “spread positivity, while spreading the message about the dangers of impaired driving.”

The Luke Roux Foundation has also launched a new PSA program, and will award a $1,500 scholarship “to a Connecticut high school senior who creates the most powerful and impactful video public service announcement (PSA) encouraging young adults to make safe, responsible choices and never drive while impaired.”

Conard Wellness teacher Holly Brady introduces Carri Roux of the Luke Roux Foundation, who spoke to Conard juniors and seniors following “The Flip Side of Prom” demonstration by West Hartford Police and Fire Department members. April 29, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

“Her message is not about statistics or lectures,” Conard Wellness teacher Holly Brady told the students before Roux’s presentation. “It’s about real consequences, real loss, and the impact one decision can have on countless lives.”

Conard parent Joy Russell, chair of the Class of 2026 Safe Grad, said the all-night substance-free party is a Conard tradition that dates back to 1985. “We want to ensure, as well as prom, that graduation night is a night of really amazing memories, celebrating together with your whole class. How many opportunities do you have to do that?” she said. She said they are really happy to partner with Carri and the Luke Roux Foundation to provide vouchers for all of the seniors.

Class of 2026 Safe Grad chair Joy Ferguson speaks to Conard juniors and seniors at a presentation by Carri Roux (in background) of the Luke Roux Foundation, following “The Flip Side of Prom” demonstration by West Hartford Police and Fire Department members. April 29, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

The wrecked car from the simulation now sits in front of Conard’s sign on Beechwood Road. The Flip Side of Prom banner, which all juniors and seniors will have the opportunity to sign, will be displayed there as well. Signing the banner brings with it a personal commitment: “I pledge to remain free from alcohol and other drugs, to never drive under the influence, and to never ride with an impaired driver.”

Conard juniors and seniors will all have the opportunity to sign the banner, which will be placed next to the wrecked car. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

“While this promise is made during prom season, its message extends far beyond a single night. It is a commitment to protecting oneself, friends, families, and the broader community, every day of the year,” organizers said.

For more about the Luke Roux Foundation and its mission, visit www.lukeroux.com or follow on Facebook or Instagram @luke_rouxfoundation.

Image of the impaired driver who is serving time in prison for causing the death of Luke Roux in 2022. Carri Roux of the Luke Roux Foundation speaks to Conard juniors and seniors following “The Flip Side of Prom” demonstration by West Hartford Police and Fire Department members. April 29, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

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Tags: carri roux, conard high school, featured, Luke Roux, luke roux foundation, newsletter, West Hartford, west hartford fire department, west hartford police department, west hartford public schools

Conard Students Participate in Intense and Emotional Program About Impaired Driving

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