Girl killed in accident remembered

Heather Rawlyk

Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2004 | 11:18 a.m.

More than 100 friends, teachers, classmates and family members who gathered to remember Adasha Edison Tuesday night were encouraged to take from her death a lesson in making choices.

The 16-year-old girl fell off the roof of a Chevrolet Blazer Thursday night in the parking lot of Shadow Ridge High School while attempting to "car surf" with her friends. Edison died Saturday at University Medical Center from head injuries sustained in the accident.

The stage of the auditorium at Canyon Ridge Christian Church, 6200 W. Lone Mountain Road, was covered with pictures of Edison, along with candles, flowers and teddy bears brought by her classmates. Attendees gathered at the stage ledge before the service to comfort one another and pray.

A dozen grief counselors were on hand to speak with students after the memorial service.

A slide show featuring pictures of Edison from infancy to young adulthood brought tears among many in the audience.

The slide show ended with a haunting message that flashed before her classmate's eyes: "One bad decision. One tragic accident. Can change our lives forever."

The message stuck throughout the memorial service, as Steve Thomas, one of the pastors at the church, emphasized Edison's young age and her final "wrong choice."

"It's not right that a 16-year-old would die," Thomas said. "The Lord guides us, so why didn't He guide Adasha off that car? He may guide us, but He leaves us with a choice."

Chris Graham, Edison's uncle, said he hopes a lesson can be learned from his niece's death.

"Yes, it is tragic," he said. "But when we don't take some of the lessons we've learned from, that's the only real tragedy. Adasha is with God now."

Graham said he compares Edison's life to a sunset.

"I will remember Adasha like a sunset," he said. "Her life was short, but beautiful."

Youth Pastor Chris Duncan hoped that students would learn from Edison's death.

"Take this tragedy, and I encourage fellow students to be better and learn from this," he said.

Brandon Fulbrook, Edison's younger stepbrother, described his stepsister as "the risk-taking type" who had "no second thoughts. Like the end of the slide show said, it just took one bad decision to change everything," he said.

Fulbrook said he will remember Edison as a girl who liked having fun.

"She liked playing games, and she just liked being fun," he said. "I remember we went to Wet 'N' Wild, she just had so much fun. It snowed a couple weeks ago and she was out making a snowman. She was always smiling."