Anchorage Daily News

A junior varsity baseball player from South Anchorage High School remained on life support in critical condition Monday night after tumbling off the rear of a car Saturday.

Taylar Young, 16, is at Alaska Regional Hospital, according to a message on the Web site for the school baseball team. He has also participated in wrestling and football for South.

"A steady stream of his teammates from all three sports have been there to see him," said Anita Archuleta, past president of the baseball booster club.

The School District is offering counseling at South Anchorage High School today and longer if needed, she said.

Parents met Monday evening and talked about steps to help the players. Tryouts for South's American Legion baseball team were supposed to happen tonight but are being postponed until next week, Archuleta said. Instead, players will meet about Taylar, she said.

The accident happened in the parking strip between Mulcahy Stadium and Kosinski Fields after a junior varsity game, in which he played catcher.

Young and another teenager jumped on the back of a Chevrolet Malibu driven by Amanda Hoyt, 17, police said. They were catching a ride across the parking area to the Alaska Aces game, where Taylar was meeting his brother, according to a cousin, Carey Miknich. The car was going slowly, but Taylar lost his balance and hit his head on the car and then the asphalt, police said. He wasn't breathing when police arrived.

Police are still investigating but don't expect anyone to be charged, said Anchorage police spokeswoman Marlene Lammers.

"I don't think it was reckless on anybody's part. They were just being kids," Lammers said.

His parents flew into Anchorage after getting the call about Taylar's injuries. His mother came from Texas. His father was in Juneau. Taylar was staying with his grandparents.

"Everybody just liked him. He always had a smile on his face," Archuleta said.

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