Reflection on “Every 15 Minutes” Program

By Rev. Melissa Tumaneng, ACM, NCNC-UCC

On March 19, 2026, I participated in the “Every 15-minutes” program at College Park High School in Pleasant Hill. The Pleasant Hill Police Department were looking for chaplains. Profound appreciation to Rev. Niels Teunis, Senior Minister at Hillcrest UCC in Pleasant Hill, for the invitation.

Overview: “Every 15 Minutes” program is a high school educational initiative designed to show the seriousness of impaired driving, including drunk and distracted driving. It is meant to be emotional, realistic, and memorable. The program name comes from the (historical) statistic that someone dies in an alcohol-related crash every 15 minutes. Although the numbers change over time, the primary message is that impaired/distracted driving kills people and is preventable.

The program takes place over two days. The first day includes a mock car crash staged on the campus. The students act as victims, which includes a “fatality.” Real police, firefighters, paramedics, and coroners are often present. The second day is a school-wide assembly, including those who participated. There is a video replay of the mock crash and then a mock funeral is conducted. Students write and read letters to their parents. Parents write and read an obituary. The purpose is to create a lasting impression through realism and shock, hopefully encouraging students to make safer choices (e.g. don’t drive impaired, don’t text and drive, don’t get in the car with someone who is).

Chaplain Role: As one of 7 chaplains that day, I was partnered with a Pleasant Hill PD officer. My role in the event was to deliver the news to the parents that their child died by a drunk or distracted driver and support their emotional processing. We visited multiple places of employment and homes. Although the parents participated in the program and anticipated the visit, they were still understandably emotional and tearful. Every parent said that to “hear those words” hit home – and they hoped it would never become real.

Having worked as an adult and pediatric hospice chaplain, I am familiar with end-of-life and death. The most difficult encounters included witnessing the loss of their child. Every parent wants their child to outlive them. As the student’s parent and I sat down while the officer stood to the side, delivering the bad news carried a distinct discomfort. Unlike hospice settings, where death is often anticipated, this moment carried the weight of preventability. The parent’s first reaction was silence, steadfast eye contact, and a loss for words. Because the emotions it evoked were entirely real, it felt disproportionate to the fact that it was only a simulation. My hope mirrored theirs: that it would never become real. Simulated events can evoke real truth.

Chaplains took notes of how the parent received the news and what the parent would miss most about the child. At the end of the day during the student retreat, chaplains read to each student directly what was said by their parents. Each child attentively listened.

Reflection: Participating in the program was a powerful experience that invited reflections about human responsibility, consequences of our choices, and the value of life. It went beyond a simple awareness activity and created space for all involved to deeply consider how our actions affect others and how this connects to our broader beliefs of morality, meaning, and caring for others. Spiritually it emphasized our interconnectedness and our inherent worth and purpose. Theologically it reflected the belief that every life is sacred and should be protected, reinforcing the importance of not taking life for granted.

During the mock accident, the head chaplain took the parents of the deceased to identify their child. Emotional testimonies highlighted themes of grief, guilt, and suffering. This highlighted the theme of human brokenness and how poor decisions can harm not only an individual, but others, including the wider community. The pain displayed pointed towards the deep need for presence, compassion, and spiritual care for those affected by and even witnessed the tragedy during the school assembly.

Moral responsibility was an important theme and the program clearly illustrated how choices can carry serious consequences. This is connected to the idea of free will and accountability. Choosing not to drive impaired becomes an act of respect and commitment to the well-being of others – and not just about following rules. In this particular event, the student was a drunk driver who killed 2 other students with several others injured. The student was arrested for DWI.

A criticism sometimes raised is that the program can be emotionally intense and distressing for the students, parents, and others involved. Given mental health challenges, this “shock factor” may not always lead to long-term behavior change. Some schools now pair the program with data-driven prevention education.

Overall, the program opened the door to reflect on healing and hope. It pointed to the importance of forgiveness, support, and restoration. This can involve finding meaning and comfort amidst pain. It also reflects the belief in grace and possibly redemption after serious mistakes.

This reflection also resurfaced a personal experience of an accident in high school that resulted in a head-on collision when the driver was distracted turning left at a major intersection. No alcohol or substances were involved. I was wearing my seatbelt in the passenger seat. The sole physical injury sustained was a fractured wrist by the passenger seated behind the driver, who had not worn a seatbelt. This experience challenges me to live more intentionally—with greater understanding, compassion, and responsibility. In speaking words no parent should ever have to hear—even in a simulation—I was reminded that moral decisions are never isolated—they ripple outward, shaping lives, communities, and our shared sense of responsibility.