"Every 15 Minutes" Comes to Grand Terrace High

GRAND TERRACE>> On April 6, students at Grand Terrace High School experienced first hand the consequences of losing someone to drunk driving. "Every 15 Minutes" is a program that creates a mock funeral and memorial service for someone who has died due to drunk driving. The program, funded in part by the Office of Traffic Safety, stages a mock scenario in which a teenager made the decision to drink and drive and killed and injured several of their classmates. Students at the event heard from real-life victim, Josh Jahn, whose wife and two young children were killed in a drunk driving accident. Jahn told the students that he hopes this exercise will stay with them and encourage them to make good choices, because DUI tragedies are 100 percent avoidable. "Every 15 Minutes" is a program that seeks to educate students on the realities of what can happen when someone decides to drink and drive. The event was scheduled right after prom and right before graduation, which are both times when drinking and driving is common among teenagers. The program took place over the course of two days. The event included a mock crash on the first day and a memorial service on the following day. Twenty-five students participated in the crash. These students either went to jail, the hospital, the coroner's office, or the courthouse. They also stayed the night away from their families, which gave both students and parents the feeling of being separated from their loved ones, which is what would happen in a real DUI incident. A total of 1,000 students attended the memorial service. "We conduct these programs to educate all parties on the dangers of drinking and driving," said a member of the Colton Unified School District. "Every 15 Minutes" also brought its exercise to Bloomington High School, April 11 through April 12. “The reason we do Every 15 Minutes is to bring awareness of the consequences of their actions if they were to drink and drive," said Bloomington High School Assistant Principal Ruby Navarro. "We’re just really trying to drive the point home.” This program is held in conjunction with the City of Grand Terrace, California Highway Patrol and the Office of Traffic Safety, the San Bernardino Sheriffs office, the San Bernardino gangs and task force, AAA and the National Highway Traffic Administration.