Onlookers were taken aback by the sight of several apparent accident victims laying in the middle of Highway 62 on August 13 in Clarkson.

The teenage volunteers (from Grayson and Larue counties) were part of an Emergency Management scenario involving a mock pesticide spill that took place at Crop Productions.

Kentucky Emergency Management Administrative Assistant Virginia Posey explained how the disaster brought together a wide range of emergency responsders for a single purpose.

According to Posey, several people were involved in an accident while fleeing from the 500-pound paraquat chemical spill.

The accident took place in front of Midway Plaza. The mock drill involved 10 victims with multiple injuries.

Appropriate personnel, including Clarkson Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services, were notified of the incident.

Hot zones and warm zones were established at Crop Productions and in front of Midway Plaza. Both lanes of Highway 62 for one mile were shut down, and traffic was diverted elsewhere.

Clarkson Fire Department Chief Andy Cain said the situation on site at Crop Productions involved five victims that were injured from the chemical spill.

All of the individuals, which were contaminated, were removed from the scene of the incident and de-contaminated.

After being transported by EMS to Twin Lakes Regional Medical Center, the victims were decontaminated again before entering the hospital.

Emergency Management Director Randell Smith gave an overall wrap-up about Thursdays' mock drill.

"Overall everyone did a good job," he explained, "but there were a lot of deficiencies. There were not enough people with handheld radios, generators were too close to EOC, and we needed the auto accident in front of Crop Productions. The state would not let us shutdown the road though, so that is why we had to have it elsewhere. That made it bad on the fire department having to go back and forth to two different locations. Everyone seemed to work well together though."

The purpose of the mock drill is to prepare first responders in the event of an actual emergency. Drills are held periodically throughout the year at different locations in the county.