Every 15 Minutes

On Wednesday, May 15th, the drunken driving event, Every Fifteen Minutes, took place at Monrovia High School. Every other year, 11th and 12th grade students and staff, take part in a drunken driving simulation, which ties in with prom. This year’s event, staged on Madison Avenue, at the entrance to the student parking lot, was the most realistic and impactful yet. The accident, which took place immediately after lunch, depicted a drunk driver and her passenger, hitting another car head-on and also striking a person crossing the street. The drunk driver was arrested and taken and booked at the Monrovia Police Department. The passenger with the drunk driver was cited and released to his parent. The passenger in the other car was pronounced dead on the scene and transported to Douglass and Zook Mortuary. The driver of the other car was taken to Arcadia Methodist Hospital by ambulance and pronounced dead of massive injuries. The other victim was also taken to Arcadia Methodist with paralysis from the waist down. With the help of professional make-up artists, the Monrovia Police and Fire Departments and various community agencies, the entire event was filmed by the MHS Video Production class and was shown as part of an assembly the next morning where guest speakers, including LA County Supervisor Michael Antonovich, spoke about the importance of remaining alcohol free. The Every Fifteen Minute event, sponsored by the California Highway Patrol and the Friday Night Live Partnership, calls attention to the dangers of youth drinking and driving and the fact that someone dies from a drunken driving accident every fifteen minutes. For more information or to find out how you can sponsor the next event, please contact Sandy Duff, MHS ASB Director, or Michael Wagner, MHS Friday Night Live Advisor.