Mat-Su

Boy killed by vehicle in Wasilla pushed friend out of the way, stepfather says

Austin Edenfield, 15, died within about 100 yards of his family's home, his stepfather Ed Blocker said Tuesday. He and at least one other teenager were walking back from a trip to the bank near the Three Bears store.

The teens were on the shoulder of North Pittman Road when the collision happened around 3 p.m., said Alaska State Troopers.

Edenfield's mother was home at the time, Blocker said. She ran out of the house, but her son was already dead.

"The paramedics pretty much said it was instantaneous," he said.

Troopers spokesperson Megan Peters said Tuesday morning the driver whose vehicle hit Edenfield, 28-year-old Willow resident Bryon Melton, stayed at the scene.

Troopers are investigating to see if a crime was committed, a standard procedure when someone dies in a car crash, Peters said.

Court records show Melton is a defendant in an open criminal case that includes a charge of driving without a license.

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Melton was arrested on Jan. 16 by a trooper in Northway after Canadian customs agents seized more than 3 ounces of marijuana from a pickup truck he was in with two other men, according to a trooper's affidavit filed with the charges. He told authorities he had recently lost his license and also that he was licensed in Wyoming, according to the affidavit, signed by trooper Lance Silva. Melton's license expired in 2008, the trooper wrote.

Edenfield attended Burchell High School in Wasilla, where students and teachers were mourning his loss Tuesday.

Edenfield had turned his life around over the past few years, said Blocker, his stepfather. He had struggled with emotional problems, but an intensive mental health treatment program at Providence Alaska Medical Center started him on the right path, Blocker said.

"He's just made some incredible turnarounds, thanks to Burchell, I think, a lot of it. He became a very positive young man," he said. "Even just this last week, he had some very heartfelt conversations with his mom about how appreciative he was. Things you just don't hear from a teenager usually."

Edenfield planned to pursue an engineering degree in Germany after finishing at Alaska Middle College School, which offers college-level credits, and graduating early.

Paul Morley, Edenfield's sophomore English teacher at Burchell, remembered him Tuesday morning as "a very well-loved, popular, motivated young man."

Edenfield was working through a unit in Morley's class on food and eating, and Morley said he had taken a direct interest in the subject.

"He just recently wrote a personal essay about how he used to be a bit of a chunky young man," Morley said. "He'd gotten fit and prided himself on being active."

Morley said Edenfield stopped by and thanked him for choosing the unit's topic, saying it had helped his quest for fitness -- a gesture that left his teacher touched.

"This is one of the unique things about Austin," Morley said. "He took the time to check in with people -- to demonstrate his compassion, not just talk about it."

Word of Edenfield's passing was doubly devastating to his friends, who Morley said were still reeling from another Wasilla teen's death about a month ago.

The Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District sent grief counselors to Burchell on Tuesday, Morley said, and students were given sheets of paper to record their memories of Edenfield. Eventually, the sheets will be collected and presented to his family in a binder.

In the meantime, teachers have also been trying to help students cope.

"I've just been kind of wandering the hallways helping kids out, making sure they've got support and are in a place where they can deal with it," Morley said.

Edenfield had two older siblings, his stepfather said. He would have turned 16 next month.

Photo credit: 2015-16 yearbook photo courtesy Burchell High School via Lifetouch.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported that state troopers said Edenfield moved to save a friend. That information was reported to troopers, who relayed it without confirming it themselves. Also, the story has been edited to reflect that Edenfield received mental health treatment at Providence Alaska Medical Center, not addiction treatment.

Chris Klint

Chris Klint is a former ADN reporter who covered breaking news.

Zaz Hollander

Zaz Hollander is a veteran journalist based in the Mat-Su and is currently an ADN local news editor and reporter. She covers breaking news, the Mat-Su region, aviation and general assignments. Contact her at zhollander@adn.com.

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