Every 15 Minutes is designed for high school juniors and seniors to highlight that, statistically, someone dies in an alcohol-related car crash every 15 minutes, according to online information about the program.

In the Iron Mountain program, four students were involved in a simulated crash that left one dead, two injured and one arrested.

Senior Oskar Kangas, who portrayed the teen killed in the simulation, said he was asked to take part several months ago but didn’t know what his part would be.

“I didn’t think it was going to be as in-depth as it was,” he said. “The more we got into it, the more in-depth, I got a little nervous about it the last few days, but once we actually got out there and got all set up it wasn’t bad.”

IRON MOUNTAIN HIGH SCHOOL junior Louis Fiorucci contemplates his actions during a simulated crash as part of the Every 15 Minutes presentation at the school Thursday. Fiorucci portrayed the person driving while impaired. (Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News photo)

Junior Louis Fiorucci, who played the drunk driver, said he was nervous as well “but once I hit it, that car scene — I got in the car and the tarp went over me — I kinda just chilled out for a minute and I thought about myself and regained my thoughts. I feel like it went a lot better than I thought it would.”

As part of the simulation, he was taken away in the police car and got to experience what it would be like to actually be arrested and charged.

“It was crazy just to be a first-hand experiencer of what would happen if I did actually crash into someone or if anyone would crash into someone — taking that innocent life away from this world. Just learning how the judicial system works. Walking in the courtroom, the judge talked to me to tell me about my sentencing. It was interesting to see how it is different than what you see in the real world because most people don’t get that experience.”

Superintendent Jerry Sardina said he and High School Principal Amy Ryan decided to do the program because it hadn’t been done at the school in 17 years. They worked with a committee of 14 people.

“We felt it would be good to bring it back,” he said.

At the school, they focus on teaching kids to make smart decisions, and how the decisions they make affect not only themselves but those around them.

A total of 23 kids participated and were taken to Pine Mountain Resort for the night, where they took part in exercises, including writing letters to their parents. All their electronic devices were taken away and they were not allowed to have contact with anyone outside the resort.

Sardina said several factors went into selecting the students: “Kids that we felt it would impact the most; kids that their peers would see them involved in this and it would impact them and have a lasting impression; kids that would take it seriously. There were a number of factors.”

Police and fire departments responded to the scene as if it were an actual accident, including cutting injured passenger Ashley Spade out of the car and removing Kangas’ body. Other local businesses also took part.

Both Kangas and Fiorucci hope the program has a positive effect on their peers.

“Hopefully it shines a light on this topic and people learn from it and know that this affects families and a bunch of other people, that this is something they would actually go through and it leads to better decisions,” Kangas said.

“At first with this program, I was ‘What’s going to happen?’ But after doing it, I totally agree with doing it — the schools doing it all around the area. I think it’s a good program. I definitely see the thought behind all of it,” Fiorucci said.

The program was sponsored by Dickinson Area Community Foundation, Edwards Chevrolet, Erickson-Rochon & Nash Funeral Home, Pine Mountain Resort, Blackstone Pizza Company, Integrity Care Ambulance EMS, Iron Mountain Fire Department, Iron Mountain Police Department, Dickinson County Sheriff Department, City of Iron Mountain, Michigan State Police Iron Mountain Post, Judge Julie A. LaCost, Val Ilde Videography, Sarah Sleeter LLM, Dr. Martin Cristanelli, Anthony E. Cavalieri and Michael Scholke.