Dressed in black, students comforted each other as they watched pallbearers carry one of their classmates in a casket to the front of the gym. The scene was something nobody wishes will ever be real.

Fortunately, this time it wasn't real. It was a mock educational program called "Every 15 Minutes," held March 30 and 31 at the school, to promote safe and responsible driving. In the process, the program touched participants—from students and teachers to community members—on an extremely emotional level.

During the two-day program, more than 1,600 spellbound students witnessed the simulation of a fatal automobile crash scene caused by a drunken driver and a "memorial service" for the crash victims. The victims of the crash, who were also classmates of those in the audience, were displayed on the high school's football field, as well as the totaled vehicles. Emergency crews and the coroner's department arrived on the scene, taking the bodies to the hospital and morgue, as if the event was actually occurring.

"All the dialogue was just really chilling," said parent volunteer Pearl Burns.

Burns said the three students who "died" during the crash included Carlos Bravo, Aly Fidiam-Smith and Jennifer Fish. The student who played the role of the arrested drunken driver was Cody Stewart.

Bravo's family said they were notified of his "death" by a police officer and a priest who came to their home during the middle of the day.

"I said, 'It's got to be a mistake. It's school hours. Carlos has to be in school right now,' " said Bravo's father, Antonio.

Before his son's pretend funeral service occurred, Antonio said he hoped students understood from the presentation the consequences that can occur from drinking and driving.

Parent Gabrielle Fidiam-Smith, whose daughter Aly was "killed" in the accident, said she has a secret she wants to share with other parents.

"I wish every parent could go through this," she said. "It makes all the grades and coming home after curfew so insignificant. It's amazing. It changes your priorities overnight."

Fidiam-Smith said the most overwhelming part of the experience was being told at the hospital that her daughter had passed away, because it felt real.

LGHS Assistant Principal Dan Fowler said the goal of the program was to reduce alcohol-related deaths among youth and to promote making good decisions. He said the program's name, "Every 15 Minutes," comes from published data in the early 1990s reflecting the frequency of death or injury every 15 minutes caused by drivers who are under the influence of alcohol or who have made poor decisions. Since schools started adopting this program, those figures have dropped to about one in every 30 minutes, which Fowler said is still unacceptable.

Over the course of the school day on March 30, a Grim Reaper figure pulled students out of their classes every 15 minutes, and they became the "living dead," or students who symbolized those who have died as the result of a drunken-driving accident.

Guest speakers at the memorial service included Police Chief Scott Seaman; firefighter/paramedic Jason Falarski, a 1990 LGHS graduate; and Los Gatos resident Judy Peckler, whose two children and husband were killed in 1997 by a drunken driver. They shared their experiences of the negative impacts drunken-driving incidents have had on their lives.

"It's probably the most powerful thing I've ever seen," said LGHS Principal Trudy McCulloch. "It's the most realistic. We involve our own kids. It's from the heart."

McCulloch said the message behind the program hit home after the November 2002 death of LGHS senior Eric Quesada, who was involved in a drunken-driving accident. The program also comes in the wake of a drunken-driving accident March 27 on Kennedy Road in Los Gatos. The boys involved in the accident were the sons of LGHS Spanish teacher Becky Walleen; there were no fatalities in that accident.

Juniors Greg Thaler, Nick Gaffney and Jon Lynch said the program had more of an impact on upperclassmen with drivers' licenses.

"It was good for us to see and experience, even if it was staged," Gaffney said. "It proves we are not immortal."

Greg said the program became even more emotional when he pictured one of the deceased students being himself.

"It makes you cherish the moments you have with people and appreciate time with your friends and family," Greg said.

More than 70 volunteers helped conduct "Every 15 Minutes," including representatives from the California Highway Patrol, American Medical Response, the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner's Office, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, the Department of Corrections, Los Gatos­Monte Sereno Police Department, Central Fire Department and Santa Clara County Office of Communication, as well as LGHS parents, staff and community volunteers.