Every 15 Minutes
Written by: Colby Hanning Twitter Editor
Senior Harrison Hobbs covered in blood and shards of glass after having flown through the windshield during the crash.
Photo by: teacher Timothy Ericksen |
Every 15 minutes someone is killed by drunk driving. On Thursday, April 27, 2017 Senior Jessica Pinasco, Harrison Hobbs, Pardeep Dhillon, Tanner Banks and Michael Casso were involved in a staged car crash. That morning two banged up vehicles were brought out to the Buhach Colony track and set up to look as though they had been through a crash. Then the five students involved were brought out to the track. These students were covered in fake blood and open wounds, provided by the drama department, so that the crash scene looked realistic. These student got placed in their spots for the beginning of the scene. Jessica Pinasco was the driver of the first car and was uninjured in the crash. Harrison Hobbs had flew through the windshield of their car and was lying on the hood of the car unconscious. Hobbs was covered in blood and had shards of glass covering his face. Pardeep Dhillon was unconscious and covered in blood in the
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backseat. Tanner Banks was the driver of the second car and was uninjured in the crash. In the passenger seat was Michael Casso unconscious, covered in blood, with an injury to his right leg. When everyone was in place the scene started.
There were two buses between the juniors and seniors and the crash on the other side so they could not see the scene. A loud flash-bang went off to as an indication of the car crash and the buses pulled away revealing the crash scene to the students. Jessica Pinasco hopped out of the car and called 911. The students could hear the conversation between Pinasco and the
There were two buses between the juniors and seniors and the crash on the other side so they could not see the scene. A loud flash-bang went off to as an indication of the car crash and the buses pulled away revealing the crash scene to the students. Jessica Pinasco hopped out of the car and called 911. The students could hear the conversation between Pinasco and the
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911 operator. She was in such a state of shock that she couldn’t remember or answer many of the 911 operator's questions. She was frantically going around to see who is in what state to tell the 911 operator and you hear Pinasco report to her that the people in the other car are her friends from school.
A few minutes after the crash police cars showed up to asses the situation. A police officer went over was asking Pinasco about what had happened. At the same time Tanner Banks was realizing what had just happened. He looked at his friend in the passenger seat and then slowly got up out of his car. He was moving over to the other car looking at Harrison on the hood and Pardeep in the backseat. Banks went back over and sat down in his car and a police officer went up to him. The officer saw that there was an open bottle of alcohol in the passenger's lap and began questioning Banks. The officer |
In a state of shock and panic, Senior Jessica Pinassco frantically explains to the cop and firefighter what happened at the time of the crash.
Photo by: teacher Timothy Ericksen |
was asking if he had been drinking at all that night and Banks repeatedly said he had not had any alcohol.
Firetrucks and ambulance pulled up to the scene and quickly jump out of their car and began working. Pardeep Dhillon was stuck in the backseat of the car. In order to get Dhillon out of the car the firemen had to cut the roof off of the car off. Once they had gotten the roof off, Dhillon was loaded into an ambulance and taken to the Merced Hospital. EMT’s and paramedics began pulling Michael Caso out of the second car and load him onto a gurney. A helicopter from the Modesto Hospital landed on site and Caso was loaded onto the helicopter and flown to the Modesto hospital.
A police officer went back over to talk to Tanner Banks and had to give him a sobriety test. This test consisted of three different parts. First the officer told Banks to take nine heel to toe steps forward, sidestep, turn back around, and take nine more heel to toe steps back to the officer. He was also told to count these steps aloud. Banks began the steps and counted aloud, “One, two, three, four, six, seven, eight, nine.” The officer then asks Banks if he was sure he took nine steps and he proceeded to say that he had. The officer asked Banks what he was supposed to do next, but Banks could not remember. Banks then took nine side steps back to where he began. The officer reminded him when he finished that portion that he was not supposed to side step back, but was supposed to turn around and do another nine heel to toe steps. The officer then moved onto the next portion of the test. He told Banks to follow the pen with his eyes without moving
Firetrucks and ambulance pulled up to the scene and quickly jump out of their car and began working. Pardeep Dhillon was stuck in the backseat of the car. In order to get Dhillon out of the car the firemen had to cut the roof off of the car off. Once they had gotten the roof off, Dhillon was loaded into an ambulance and taken to the Merced Hospital. EMT’s and paramedics began pulling Michael Caso out of the second car and load him onto a gurney. A helicopter from the Modesto Hospital landed on site and Caso was loaded onto the helicopter and flown to the Modesto hospital.
A police officer went back over to talk to Tanner Banks and had to give him a sobriety test. This test consisted of three different parts. First the officer told Banks to take nine heel to toe steps forward, sidestep, turn back around, and take nine more heel to toe steps back to the officer. He was also told to count these steps aloud. Banks began the steps and counted aloud, “One, two, three, four, six, seven, eight, nine.” The officer then asks Banks if he was sure he took nine steps and he proceeded to say that he had. The officer asked Banks what he was supposed to do next, but Banks could not remember. Banks then took nine side steps back to where he began. The officer reminded him when he finished that portion that he was not supposed to side step back, but was supposed to turn around and do another nine heel to toe steps. The officer then moved onto the next portion of the test. He told Banks to follow the pen with his eyes without moving
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his head. Banks could not do this correctly. The final part of the test was to stand on one leg with your hands at your side for thirty seconds each leg. When the officer asked Banks to do this he only lasted about 3 to 4 seconds before falling. The officer stopped Banks and told him that he “did not have the balance to complete the test.” Then an office brought over a breathalyzer and explained to Banks how it works. He told him that this would take his blood alcohol content and that there was no way for the breathalyzer to lie. After Banks had finished the breathalyzer test the officer explained to him that the legal blood alcohol level for anyone under the age of twenty-one is 0 and that Banks test showed a 0.02; this means that he was driving while under the influence. The officer then proceeded to cuff Banks and loaded him into the back of the cop car and drove him to jail.
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Senior Tanner Banks participates in a sobriety test when police officers believe he has been driving under the influence.
Photo by: teacher Timothy Ericksen |
As the police car was leaving a hearse pulled up to the scene. The EMT and paramedics went over to the dead body of Harrison Hobbs. The laid out the body bag and carefully took Hobbs off the hood of the car and loaded him into the bag. They zipped it closed and loaded him into the back of the hearse. The hearse pulled away to take him to the funeral home. As the hearse pulls away Pinasco slowly walks back over to her car and places her hand where Harrison's body was lying just minutes before. This was the end to what the students saw, but those who took part in the crash scene were actually taken to the hospitals, jail, and funeral home. Their parents were notified of the event and had to go to wherever their child was taken and proceed as though it was real, not just an arranged scene.
As well as the crash scene, Buhach Colony had a heartbeat that then flatlined every 15 minutes during the school day. Each flatline was for a specific student or teacher who had “passed away.” These people were pulled out of school for the day to make it seems as though they had really passed. When the flatline occurred a sheriff or police officer went into the classroom the student or teacher was supposed to be in at the time and read their obituary. The student that “passed away” were Jayce Isaacson, Jessica Gutierrez, Casie Bonstein, Juan Rosales, Stephanie Stewart, Megan Moua, Jessica Manzo, Jonathan Pacheco, Jenny Zaragoza, Edward Franks, Thomas Brinkop, Dylan Jennings,Nathaniel Ayala, Kristina Ramos, and Cimmaron Ruiz. The only teacher that passed was English teacher Mrs. Webb.
Buhach Colony, with the help of many outside organizations, arranges a crash scene to instill teenage students with the potential and dangerous consequences of drunk driving. Every 15 Minutes includes help and participation from local police and fire departments, hospitals, video production crew, community officials, district attorney’s office, funeral homes, and staff and students of the school. Buhach Colony Staff member Donna Hoffart explains, “It is a program that we had to apply for a grant with the CHP to get. The CHP is really the agency who oversees the program.” This program is designed to teach students the dangers of drunk driving and the horrid consequences. Pinasco was very much affected by the crash scene. She states “I was really really nervous and really scared before it started. Being a part of this and knowing that this can happen in real life is scary. It was all so real. When the flash went off and I saw Harrison on the hood of the car… I was a mess. I was bawling the whole time, I couldn’t stop crying.”
For more photos from the scene go to the Buhach Times webpage
http://buhachtimes.weebly.com/bc-every-15-minutes-2017.html
As well as the crash scene, Buhach Colony had a heartbeat that then flatlined every 15 minutes during the school day. Each flatline was for a specific student or teacher who had “passed away.” These people were pulled out of school for the day to make it seems as though they had really passed. When the flatline occurred a sheriff or police officer went into the classroom the student or teacher was supposed to be in at the time and read their obituary. The student that “passed away” were Jayce Isaacson, Jessica Gutierrez, Casie Bonstein, Juan Rosales, Stephanie Stewart, Megan Moua, Jessica Manzo, Jonathan Pacheco, Jenny Zaragoza, Edward Franks, Thomas Brinkop, Dylan Jennings,Nathaniel Ayala, Kristina Ramos, and Cimmaron Ruiz. The only teacher that passed was English teacher Mrs. Webb.
Buhach Colony, with the help of many outside organizations, arranges a crash scene to instill teenage students with the potential and dangerous consequences of drunk driving. Every 15 Minutes includes help and participation from local police and fire departments, hospitals, video production crew, community officials, district attorney’s office, funeral homes, and staff and students of the school. Buhach Colony Staff member Donna Hoffart explains, “It is a program that we had to apply for a grant with the CHP to get. The CHP is really the agency who oversees the program.” This program is designed to teach students the dangers of drunk driving and the horrid consequences. Pinasco was very much affected by the crash scene. She states “I was really really nervous and really scared before it started. Being a part of this and knowing that this can happen in real life is scary. It was all so real. When the flash went off and I saw Harrison on the hood of the car… I was a mess. I was bawling the whole time, I couldn’t stop crying.”
For more photos from the scene go to the Buhach Times webpage
http://buhachtimes.weebly.com/bc-every-15-minutes-2017.html
