Temecula Students, Police to Stage Elaborate DUI Crash Simulation

On April 16, 2014, the City of Temecula and Temecula Police Department in cooperation with Temecula Valley High School will present “The Every 15 Minutes Program” to the sophomores, juniors and seniors of Temecula Valley High School.

The Every 15 Minute Program is based on the early 1990’s statistic that, “every 15 minutes, someone in the United States was killed in an alcohol related traffic collision.” 

This is a two-day event, focusing on high school sophomores, juniors and seniors. We use this powerful program to challenge the students to think about the consequences of driving while intoxicated and the impact of these potentially deadly consequences on their family and friends.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014: 

A simulated drunk driving collision will occur on Rancho Vista Road in front of the TVHS’ staff parking lot. Rancho Vista Road, from Margarita Road to Calle Rio Vista Road, will be closed to all traffic from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. 

Emergency service agencies will respond with lights and sirens and simulate a real life response, rescue and investigation. These agencies use their most sensational life saving equipment including CDF’s “Jaws of Life” and Mercy Air’s helicopter. As the crash scene comes to an end, the injured are sent to the hospital, the DUI driver to jail, the dead sent to a mortuary, and mock injury and death notifications to parents begin.

After the crash scene is finished, a pre-selected student is removed from class, every 15 minutes, to become one of the “Living Dead.” The student’s teacher reads the student’s obituary to the remaining classmates and the parents of the living dead student receive a mock death notification.

Thursday, April 17, 2014: 

An assembly begins at 9:00 a.m. with a video of the previous day’s events, the reading of goodbye letters prepared by both parents and students after the mock death notifications and special guest speakers from MADD.