A North County church community is remembering a teen killed in a car accident over the weekend for his devotion to faith and service.
Bryce Houghton, 13, was killed Saturday night when a suspected drunk driver plowed into his family’s broken-down minivan on the 405 freeway in Fountain Valley. His mother suffered serious injuries and his father was also injured. Two of his siblings who were also in the van were not injured.
The Houghton family belongs to Anthem Church in Vista. On Tuesdays they lead the ministry, and prepare and serve meals to the homeless at the Bread of Life Rescue Mission. The rescue mission feeds anyone that comes off the street. Sometimes it’s their only warm meal that day.
Anthem Church Pastor Chase Feindel and other volunteers are substituting for the Houghton family as parents Michael and Gayle recover from their Injuries at UC Irvine Medical Center.
Feindel credits Bryce for his faith and devotion at his tender age.
"He is the ministry in so many ways,” Feindel said. "His life was short lived but it was lived in quality and service and as a result of that so many of our lives are changed.”
The Houghton’s were on their way to visit an ailing family member in San Luis Obispo. Just before the trip, Bryce was photographed playing board games with Rescue Mission guests. He also spent the day helping them with hygiene and doing what he could to keep their spirits up.
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"When you see Bryce, he's always the guy with the giant smile,” his father Michael said. “He is always that way. He is the spice of our family."
Bryce meant so much to one guest at the mission that when he learned about his death, he took a train to Orange County and biked to the hospital where Bryce's family was grieving so he could give them a card and offer words of healing.
"I just felt like I needed to be there," Matthew Bushell said. the Houghton family was blown away by the gesture.
Gayle suffered six broken ribs and a fractured pelvis, and Michael has a head wound and an eye injury.
Michael says the family finds joy in knowing that Bryce is now with God, and that “he did what he loved to do on his last day."
Bryce’s family tells NBC 7 the teen dreamed of one day becoming a firefighter and helping kids who suffer burn injuries. They say he also wanted to be a musician.
A GoFundMe page has been started to help support the Houghton family.
The suspected drunk driver, 24, also suffered serious injury.
