JACKSONVILLE — Students and faculty from North Pulaski High School teamed up with officials from the Jacksonville Fire Department, police department and other Pulaski County agencies to take part in the "Every 15 Minutes" program aimed at deterring high school students to drink and drive on their prom night.
Among other skits and situations, a mock drunk driving wreck was held at the football stadium where two cars were set up, and the entire scene of what would happen at a crash would happen. With the help of students from the school's drama department, EMS, police and fire were involved. A drunk driver was arrested, and the Pulaski County Coroner arrived and took away a presumed dead body.
MedFlight was also used to take a presumed severely-injured student to the hospital. The perceived drunk driver was arrested and put in the back of a police car.
The program is nationally-based and also took place at North Pulaski in 2010. The program features students being taken out of class every 15 minutes on one day — statistics say every 15 minutes someone is killed in a crash involving a drunk driver — and presumed dead. There faces are also painted to resemble as such.
The program also included making videos at hospitals where students go through what it's like to be taken into the emergency for a serious injury in a drunk driving wreck, and pronounced dead.