LOWER LAKE — Students at Lower Lake High School (LLHS) saw first-hand the dangers of drinking and driving during “Every 15 Minutes” held at the campus. When the national program was created in 1992, someone died every 15 minutes due to an alcohol-related crash.
All day long Tuesday at LLHS, every six minutes, a “grim reaper” entered a classroom, taking with him a “victim” while a Clearlake Police Department officer read a crash report. A counselor offered help to students and placed a black carnation, photograph and obituary on the students” desks that marked empty seats for the remainder of the day.
An emotional student body then assembled on the edge of campus at a realistic-looking DUI crash scene. Students participating in the scene wore professional stage make-up to simulate their injuries. Numerous firefighters and emergency personnel, several ambulances and a helicopter responded.
Anna Southerland, a 16-year-old eleventh-grader at LLHS, was one of those participating in the fake crash scene. Her makeup included blood-stained jeans and shirt and injuries to her side, neck and jaw-line including a fake tooth piercing through her cheek.
“I think this will make different impacts on different people. People talk about drinking and driving but they think ?oh, it won”t happen to me.” I think this will show what drinking and driving can do to people”s lives,” Southerland said as she stood in the gym prior to the event.
Danielle McKay, a 16-year-old junior said she was chosen to be one of the dead. She knew about it ahead of time and told her mother, but didn”t even know what day the event would take place. “My mom was already crying when I first told her about it,” McKay said.
“The way I died was text-messaging while driving and I hit a rock and the car flipped over. I do text-message, and I have a convertible so I really do think I would be smooshed if that happened to me. I”m going to try not to text and drive anymore,” McKay said.
Students said drinking and driving among peers is common, and “anyone who goes to parties,” is susceptible to becoming a DUI victim, LaDecie Riley said, an 18-year-old senior who participated in the event as a driver in one of the two crash-scene vehicles.
“Hopefully, what people get out of this is they”ll stop and think, ?do I really want to get behind the wheel?”” McKay said.
“My parents say if I”m at a party [and at risk] to ?call and we”ll come pick you up.” But not everyone”s parents are like that, so hopefully they stay and don”t drive with someone who”s been drinking.”
A group of students at the assembly watched the scene unfold as fellow students acted out the crash scene. “I feel like it got the point across,” said 17-year-old Forrest Davis, a junior.
“Life is what you make it, don”t drink and drive,” 17-year-old AnDre Satterwhite chimed in.
Contact Elizabeth Wilson at ewilson@record-bee.com
