POCATELLO — Every 15 minutes a person in the U.S. dies from a drunk driving accident and students at Century High School had a close-up look at what can happen in an accident caused by drunk drivers Friday during a mock wreck.

    Students also saw just how many people could be lost in the event of a crash.

    Beginning at about 8:30 a.m. the “Grim Reaper,” played by a Chubbuck police officer, began pulling students out of classes and reading obituaries written by their parents.

    The students were brought to the drama department and given a deathly make-over. The students were then “dead” for the remainder of the day and could not talk to anyone.  

    Then the mock accident in the afternoon drove the point home. Students came outside and viewed the aftermath of a staged DUI accident.

    “I think it’s great that actual students are doing this, not just actors that nobody knows its actual people that everyone knows,” said Century senior Jaylen Peterson. Everybody knows Shelby and everybody knows the people getting killed, it makes it more realistic.”

    Century senior Shelby Evans was the victim — dead at the scene after ejection from a window and senior Megan Frei was LifeFlighted from the scene — paralyzed from the neck down in the drill.

    Senior Brittney Nelson had a head gash with glass protruding from the wound and Sheridan Joseph had a large head wound that proved fatal. She was driven from the scene in an ambulance.

    Junior Teryl Cordell played the part of the drunk driver and was arrested by officers. He was to serve 25 years in a state penitentiary in the story.  Cordell had a cut on his forehead with lots of bruising.

   Junior Andy Whittier had broken his nose and might have had whiplash.

    Sophomore Mateo Gonzalez had some minor head injuries.

    “I think it’s really realistic because the story they are reading behind it is like friends are out together. We are friends, so it’s weird, it would be different if none of us knew each other and we were just strangers,” said Evans.

    The assembly that followed the mock accident had some students crying. Most students realized just how real the possibility of dying was. There was a video that showed just how each student turned out — two dead and one paralyzed.

    “I think it’s scary in a way but at the same time I think it’s cool we are putting it on and we are able to show kids how much damage is done,” Nelson said. “I think a lot of kids get wrapped up in the moment and think ‘oh let’s drink, let’s do this, let’s do that.’ They don’t realize just how much damage they can cause.”

    Each year this event is passed on between the four Bannock County high schools, Highland, Pocatello, Century and Marsh Valley so that each student gets the experience.

    The main point that the law enforcement officers are trying to get across is that drunk driving is real and it does affect many students and families across the nation.

    “They weren’t driving but they were under the influence of alcohol. It strikes something in you and you don’t think this is happening and it can’t happen again. It makes it almost worse,” said Peterson.

    This event has been planned since early March. Along with the no drinking and driving officer Nick Edwards also mentioned other things that can lead to this kind of damage.

    “Wearing your seat belt is a big factor. In the accident [Evans] was thrown from the vehicle. We want kids to be seat belted. Texting and driving is a big thing with kids now and that can cause another big accident. The reason we do this at the end of the year is because of prom and graduation because… then it is fresh in their minds and they will remember this on those big party nights,” said Edwards.

    All of the players involved included Pocatello, Chubbuck, Bannock County and Idaho State Police departments, Bannock County Search and Rescue, prosecutors office, judges, Portneuf Medical Center, LifeFlight, ISU law enforcement and Colonial Funeral Home.