SANFORD — This didn’t really happen — it was a mock crash — but such events do take place in Maine and in locations across the nation.

The driver of a sedan is distracted by texting and slams into the side of a schoolbus loaded with youngsters.

There is silence, quickly followed by screams and cries. Children are afraid, children are hurt, and even though it isn’t real, it has a life-like quality.

The event is the 2018 version of a mock crash, organized by safety officer Nancy Steffans at Ledgemere, the company that provides bus transportation to Sanford students, and the fire, EMS, law enforcement, health occupations and video production programs at Sanford Regional Technical Center.

“It is great training for the students and for the bus drivers and monitors,” said Sheila Beckwith Hibbard, manager at the Ledgemere terminal in Sanford.

This year’s crash scenario had — electrical lines rained down at the scene — which meant that despite cries for help, first responders had to wait for the signal that it was safe to proceed.

Students quickly took stock of what was happening and set to work, checking symptoms, carefully placing patients on stretchers and rushing them to the “emergency department.”

The students got a glimpse of what it might be like dealing with traumatized students, including some with special needs.

Some, with video cameras in hand, documented what was taking place.

Those in the law enforcement program, like Isaac Plante and Jill Box, whipped out their notebooks and interviewed witnesses and attempted to keep onlookers behind the yellow police line tape.

Plante said he was encouraged to take the law enforcement program by a cousin, and is glad he did. “I love it,”  he said.

Box was inspired to enter the program by a criminal justice class she took at York County Community College as part of her high school studies.

The annual mock crash event  draws students from a number of school systems.

“They did well,” said law enforcement instructor Michael “Tipper” Thornton.

To some degree, the scenario looked chaotic — but each student seemed to know what to do and how to proceed.

Dee Smith-McLeod, a bus driver and former bus monitor, portrayed a child with autism. “It is cool we do this,” she said. “It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen — its pretty impressive.”

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or twells@journaltribune.com.