Teens learn about dangers of drunken driving
St. Vincent De Paul High School senior Madi Yarbrough pretends to be dead as she is placed into a body bag by coroners during a mock fatal car crash Monday. The simulation was part of the "Every 15 Minutes" program at St. Vincent De Paul High School.
BETH SCHLANKER/Press DemocratPublished: Monday, April 4, 2011 at 6:41 p.m.
Last Modified: Monday, April 4, 2011 at 6:41 p.m.
Students at St. Vincent de Paul High School in Petaluma got an eyeful of the grim realities of careless and drunken driving Monday when Petaluma Police, CHP and other public safety agencies staged “Every 15 Minutes” for the student body.
The program name refers to the frequency of alcohol-related crashes and is a regular event at high schools across Sonoma County in the spring months before proms, graduations and other end of year celebrations.
The students at St. Vincent de Paul saw startling evidence of a staged wreck Monday. On Tuesday, they will take part in a mock memorial service with students playing roles for the larger student body, said Dean of Students Phil Downs.
The idea of the program is to show students how careless and drunken driving can affect friends, family and the wider community, according to organizers.
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