The students of a rural Lane County high school recently participated in an underage drinking and driving prevention program called - Every 15 Minutes. Sobering, true-to-life presentations gave students a reason to think twice before driving while impaired, or riding with someone who is. It started with a mock car crash.
A warning: This story contains sounds of emergency vehicles and graphic descriptions of a staged fatal car crash.
The scene: a parking lot in front of the old elementary school in Marcola. Two buses arrive carrying about 80 students from nearby Mohawk High School. Then, a smoke grenade goes off and the sound of police radio traffic can be heard reporting an accident.
When the smoke clears, students see the aftermath of a fatal, head-on collision. There are beer bottles scattered around. And victims with bloody injuries. Real-life first responders arrive from all directions. Sirens are blaring. It’s intense.
Fortunately, it isn’t real. The entire event is staged as a learning experience for driving-aged students. Sergeant Tom Speldrich, who organizes the Every 15 Minutes program for the Lane County Sheriff’s Office, explained why.
“Real lives are being lot on a regular basis to impaired driving crashes,” he said. “So, anything that we can do to expose that-- to make that feeling real. To let people know that it can happen here and it does happen here.”
Speldrich shared that five years ago, a Mohawk student died in an impaired driving crash.
The students watch as multiple scenes play out. Over here, emergency medics move in. One critically injured student is on a stretcher. Two more teens are being extricated from one of the crushed cars. Fire crews use the “Jaws of Life” on the door and then saw the roof off.
The girl in the passenger seat appears mortally wounded. Her head is slumped outside the broken window. There is a lot of (fake) blood. The Grim Reaper (a costumed Springfield Police Officer) walks up and touches her head, confirming everyone’s worst fear.
Meanwhile across the way, the fictitious impaired driver undergoes a sobriety test which she clearly fails. She looks over at the carnage as she’s handcuffed, then placed in the back of a squad car.
Suddenly, a life-flight helicopter appears and lands near the scene. The critically injured student is loaded on and flown away.
Then a long white hearse arrives to transport the deceased.
Behind the yellow crime scene tape, students are somber. No one speaks above a whisper.
This terribly realistic enactment is intentionally shocking. Program organizers say law enforcement, educators and parents can talk until they’re blue in the face about the real-life dangers of driving while impaired, but teenagers are more likely to listen to peers.
“Most of these kids that were involved with the crash, I’ve known them since kindergarten. Right?” he said looking serious. “Seeing them like this, definitely does have a real impact.”
Quentin Makinson was one of the students who, with permission from his parents, represented the one of the dead. Quentin wears a black robe and has a realistic gash across his throat. The makeup is professional.
“You may be here today but tomorrow you might not be here,” Makinson said. “It makes you think about the decisions that you make and how it affects others. Really it does.”
Fellow student Lucy Barrowcliff is also in a hooded robe and sports a fake wound to the eye socket. “I feel like some kids will take it as like a serious matter and other kids will just laugh at it,” she said. “But the kids that do take it seriously try to affect like what goes on outside of school. Try to help.”
Today, Lane County Sheriff’s Office partnered with Springfield Police Department, Mohawk Rural Fire Department and Sweet Home Fire Department to simulate the aftermath of a head on collision. Reach Air Medical Services provided the real-life flight transport. The idea behind Every 15 Minutes is that realistic experiences will have a more lasting impact on teenagers.
Dozens of first responders take time out to participate in this simulation and Seargent Speldrich said it’s warranted.
“When we have a fatal traffic crash, there are dozens of folks that get involved,” he said emphatically. “So, if we can do a mock crash to prevent a real crash, it’s totally worth it.”
When it’s over, the teenagers file back on the bus. But 14 volunteer students stay behind. They are the participants who represented a death caused by drunk driving every 15 minutes within the Mohawk High school population.
Sergeant Speldrich has done this before. In 2019, LCSO brought the prevention program to Elmira High School.
“The students that have quote unquote ‘lost their lives today’ will not be going home. They will not be in contact with their parents or their loved ones this evening,” he said. “They’re going to go with us to a local camp to stay the night and they are going to be writing farewell letters to their loved ones.”
At an assembly the next day, students heard some read their letters aloud. One started like this: “To my loved ones, I wish that I could say I will be coming home tonight but I will not be. I’m sorry that I couldn’t be there to see my brother, teammates and friends and their accomplishments and victories.”
And another student wrote: “Dear mom and dad. This is my last chance to say goodbye. I love you so much, words cannot describe. I’m sorry your little girl’s life was cut way too short…”
Studies have shown that programs like these may have favorable short-term effect on student’s stated attitudes but fall short on affecting actual behavior. Program organizers counter that if even one life can be saved, the program is worth it.
Lane County Sheriff’s Office plans to host Every 15 Minutes twice a year.
Correction: This story has been edited. According to Sheldon school administration, Every 15 Minutes program will not be there next.
