RIVERSIDE, CA – The Riverside Police and Fire Departments, in conjunction with the California Highway Patrol, the California Office of Traffic Safety and Notre Dame High School, will present the annual “Every 15 Minutes” program on April 26 – 27, 2017. This year will be the first time this program has been conducted at Notre Dame High School and will be viewed by the entire student body. The two-day program involves a simulated fatal traffic collision with a drunk driver, four student deaths and one injured, along with the aftermath of the mock tragedy. The purpose of this program is to provide an accurate depiction of an alcohol-related fatal traffic collision, and the effects of that collision from the perspective of all parties involved.
On Wednesday, April 26, 2017, at 9:45 a.m., the Riverside Police Department, Riverside Fire Department, American Medical Response, and Akes Family Funeral Home will conduct a simulated fatal DUI collision investigation on Brockton Avenue, between Arlington Avenue and Nixon Drive, directly in front of the school. Students will act as participants in the collision. The simulation will include on-scene trauma triage, a DUI investigation, transportation and treatment at Riverside Community Hospital. At the conclusion of the collision scene, the students will begin an overnight retreat while parents receive mock death notifications. These activities are designed to illustrate the far reaching effects of driving under the influence.
On Thursday, April 27, 2017, at 10:00 a.m., an assembly will be held in the Notre Dame High School gymnasium where the “dead” students will be reunited with their parents. The entire school will attend the assembly where a video of the previous day’s activities will be shown along with presentations made by several guest speakers including Mayor William “Rusty” Bailey, Riverside Police Chief Sergio Diaz, and Riverside Fire Chief Michael Moore. The press is welcome to attend both days of the program.
On Wednesday, April 26, 2017, Brockton Avenue, between Arlington Avenue and Nixon Drive, will be closed to all vehicular traffic from 7:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Parents of students attending Notre Dame High School and Saint Catherine’s Catholic School will be able to drop their children off in the main school parking lot by entering from Arlington Avenue.
The program received its name in the mid 1990’s because someone died every 15 minutes due to an alcohol related traffic collision. Funding for the “Every 15 Minutes” program is provided by the California Office of Traffic Safety through the California Highway Patrol and community donations.
