Fairchild Wheeler Interdistrict Magnet High School in Bridgeport hosted a mock car crash on Tuesday for juniors and seniors.

The simulated driving crash was held a little over a week before prom.

As part of the simulation, student actors sat inside a wrecked vehicle provided by Bridgeport Fire Department and saw the moments leading up to a crash and the aftermath.

Organizers say it raises awareness for students about the dangers and consequences of distracted and impaired driving, as well as how to prevent tragedy.

"We're happy to have the opportunity to do the event here. We're an interdistrict magnet school, so we do have students that come from all over the area,” said Dave Henry, principal of Fairchild Wheeler. “Many of those surrounding towns do these events, but we wanted to host it here so our students wouldn't miss out."

The Connecticut Department of Transportation says preventable crashes are a leading cause of injury and death to teenagers statewide.