Every other year, Pitman High School participates in an effort against drunk driving with a moving presentation called, “Every Fifteen Minutes”. The idea of this program is to discourage students from irresponsible drinking and driving by simulating the tragic aftermath of an alcohol-related crash.
When juniors and seniors were unexpectedly called out of class during second period on Monday, April 2, few could have been prepared for the harsh realities of the next few days. Beginning at 7 AM on Monday, a group of carefully selected students were taken from class by the “grim reaper”. Most were upstanding members of the community, athletes, and honor students, well-liked by their peers. These students represented the victims who, every fifteen minutes, are affected by alcohol-related driving accidents.
That first Monday emphasized the reality of teenage drinking and driving. As the juniors and seniors assembled at the track, a tarp was pulled away to reveal a realistic collision between two cars. When an alarming crash reverberated through the crowd, followed by a bombardment of acrid smoke—a smidgen unnecessary from a spectator’s perspective—students previously placed in the cars enacted the entire scenario that would take place in the event of an actual drunk driving crash. The usual fleet of ambulances, police cars, fire trucks, and even a helicopter arrived shortly.
The use of actual students and peers of the audience emphasized the seriousness of the scenario. One student—played by senior Sarah Wyatt—died initially at the accident scene. Two other badly bloodied victims, Sarah Tey and Tiqi Brown, were removed in the emergency vehicles. Hanging over the scene were other “dead” students with painted, skeletal-like faces, who were accompanied by the grim reaper.
From there, the upperclassmen were “invited” to attend the funeral proceedings the following day. Although the presentation was over for the day, the “grim reaper” continued to enter classrooms and collect victims every fifteen minutes, while counselors read obituaries to their respective classes.
The funeral on Tuesday took place in the darkened gym, simply furnished with a podium, flowered wreaths, and a coffin carried in by the victims. The proceedings began simply with a video that detailed the events following the crash. The driver, played by Zachary Olsen, was arrested and sentenced to time in prison, while the few survivors were pronounced dead upon their arrival at Emanuel Medical Center.
Although the video provided a detailed and, at times, emotional account in the wake of such a tragedy, the real effects of the day were not revealed until a few students were invited to share letters they had written to their families. Most of them expressed regret, and love for their surviving family members. All seemed to have a new found respect for how precious and fleeting life can be. It became quite evident that through their time spent with the professionals who deal with the effects of teen drinking and driving, they developed a sense of how serious even one instance of driving after consuming alcohol or any other substance can ruin or end one’s life.
It is presentations like these that are the most effective—where students are made vulnerable, forced to realize that the “fate” of their peers could just as easily been their own. By the time a few parents were invited to read their letters, nearly every person in the crowd was either crying or in stunned silence. Most notably, one letter written by a victim’s mother repeated the phrase, “No parent should have to outlive their child.”
One participant, senior Brook Duyst, commented, “It was a very impacting experience that I feel honored to be a part of.” Indeed, the students most closely connected to the accident probably took away the most knowledge by working closely with the faculty, emergency responders, and hospital staff to ensure that the presentation appeared as realistic as possible. Although few students were prepared for such a rude awakening, it made a greater impact than if the upperclassmen had been assembled and read a bunch of statistics on the dangers of teen alcohol consumption. Seeing the aftermath of the accident reached most students on an unexpected, emotional level.
From the program on the day of the funeral, the organization states, “The thought is that if it saves only one life, it was well worth the time, energy, and effort put into it.”
The program went on to thank the following students for their participation as both the “Living Dead” and the accident participants:
Kenn Acasio, Cailin Antoniuk, Brian Austin, Brolin Bakzadeh, Kody Brackett, TiQi Brown, Crystal Cacho, Kelsee Derr, Grace Dikho, Brooke Duyst, Salem Haithcock, Steven Kha, Miranda Lintz, Brian Montero, Zachary Olsen, Isaias Rumayor III, Sarah Teymourazof, Jacob Thompson, Sara Wyatt, Taylor Zavala
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
For more information on “Every Fifteen Minutes” and statistics on teen alcohol-related deaths, visit http://www.every15minutes.com/
