About 600 students from across Cumberland County gathered at South View High School Wednesday for a high-energy driving safety showcase that paired gravity-defying basketball stunts with a sobering message: risky choices behind the wheel can cost lives.
The message resonated locally following a fatal crash in October that claimed the lives of three E.E. Smith High students, renewing conversations among families and educators about teen driving safety.
The event, “DUNK Distracted Driving,” featured NBA halftime performers and was hosted by the U.S. Army in partnership with Adrenaline Games Alliance Nation, which uses professional-level basketball stunts and interactive assemblies to deliver safety and leadership messages to students across the country.
The acronym DUNK represents four driving rules emphasized throughout the assembly: Don’t be a distracted driver, obey laws; Undivided attention to the road; Never text, never drink, and drive; and Know your limits and ability as a driver.
Organizers said the goal is to reach teens through engagement rather than lectures.
“We perform a distracted driving show tour all over the country,” said Benji Morgan, an acro-dunker and emcee for the event. “Basketball is a powerful sport—everyone loves it. We knew that merging acrobatics and basketball would catch the attention of students.”
School leaders said the timing was intentional, particularly for students who drive.
“We have a large junior and senior class of students who are active drivers,” said Thomas Fulmore, assistant principal and athletic director at South View High School. “They’re participating in events like prom and other activities where students are going to be on the road.”
During the assembly, performers reinforced the safety message through student participation. Volunteers were invited onto the court to read aloud one rule from a large red DUNK board, while an acro-dunker sprinted toward the basket and launched off a small spring-loaded trampoline to complete a dunk. It’s a visual meant to show how quickly distractions can pull attention away, even when drivers believe they are focused.
“I lost a good friend to distracted driving—he was texting and driving,” said acro-dunker Aston Logwood. “He ended up getting T-boned and passed away. That’s why I’m definitely an advocate for not being distracted while driving.”
Devon Geter, another acro-dunker, compared safe driving to teamwork on the court.
“Much like basketball, when you’re working with a teammate, it’s no different than being on the road,” Geter said. “It’s not just you—you have to think about other people.”
Roger Crowder, part of the DUNK team, said he hopes students walked away with a simple takeaway. “Stay off your phone and live life,” Crowder said.
Retired Sgt. Maj. Ruby Murray, South View’s senior instructor for Army JROTC, said the event was about more than entertainment.
“This wasn’t just about a show coming to our school,” Murray said. “It showed that building relationships with students truly matters. Texting or drinking and driving takes you off course—and knowing how to get back on course is important.”