HOOVER, AL — What was meant to be a joyful summer escape ended in heartbreak when Jackson Cunningham, a beloved 18-year-old from Hoover, Alabama, was fatally struck by a vehicle while walking along Perdido Key Drive on the evening of July 5, 2025.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Jackson was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver remained on site and is cooperating fully with the investigation. Authorities have indicated that no foul play or reckless driving was involved, calling the incident a tragic accident that has devastated two communities.
Jackson had recently graduated with honors from Hoover High School and was preparing to begin his next chapter at Auburn University, where he had planned to study environmental engineering. Described by his teachers, friends, and neighbors as “a rare soul with a boundless heart,” Jackson’s loss is being mourned not only in his hometown of Hoover but across state lines in Florida, where his promising future was cut short.
A Young Man with Purpose
Jackson was known for his sharp intellect, deep empathy, and quiet determination to make a difference in the world. He ran cross-country, played soccer, competed in robotics tournaments, and was a driving force behind a STEM tutoring initiative for middle schoolers. He volunteered regularly through his church, participated in community cleanup efforts, and delivered meals to those in need.
“He had the heart of a servant and the mind of a visionary,” said Hoover High Principal Karen Myers. “He wasn’t just chasing dreams—he was building them for others too.”
At home, Jackson was a loving big brother, a devoted son, and a constant presence of calm and thoughtfulness. He loved long hikes, sketching eco-friendly inventions in his notebook, and reading about the climate challenges facing future generations—challenges he had hoped to help solve.
His mother, Sarah Cunningham, recalled the quiet determination behind her son’s vision: “He didn’t want recognition. He just wanted to help. He believed in leaving things better than he found them.”
A Community in Mourning
Back in Hoover, a vigil at the high school drew hundreds—students, parents, faculty, and local leaders—all gathered around Jackson’s soccer jersey, surrounded by candles, handwritten notes, and photos. Many wore Auburn orange, a nod to the next chapter Jackson had looked forward to with such hope.
In Perdido Key, beachgoers and residents alike have placed flowers and memorials at the site of the crash, honoring a young man they never knew but now grieve deeply.
“This kind of loss sends ripples far beyond one family,” said Mayor Frank Brocato. “Jackson was the kind of young person you dream about—kind, driven, compassionate. We are mourning together as a city.”
Honoring His Legacy
Funeral services for Jackson will be held on Wednesday, July 10, at Pines Baptist Church in Hoover, with burial to follow at Aldridge Gardens Cemetery. His family requests that those attending wear Auburn orange, a tribute to Jackson’s dreams, and the optimism he carried into every room.
In lieu of flowers, the Cunningham family has created the Jackson Cunningham STEM Scholarship Fund at Auburn University. Donations are also being accepted in his honor to youth robotics clubs and community gardening projects he supported passionately.
His classmates have already begun a fundraiser to improve pedestrian lighting and crosswalk safety in youth-dense areas, inspired by the accident that took him.
Gone, But Forever Remembered
Jackson’s life, though tragically brief, was filled with purpose, promise, and unwavering kindness. He leaves behind not only a grieving family, but a legacy of selflessness, intellect, and quiet leadership that will live on in every child he tutored, every volunteer effort he led, and every dream he helped others believe in.
“He saw the world not as it was,” said his father, Kent Cunningham, “but as it could be. And he spent every day trying to build that better world.”
Rest in peace, Jackson. The light you carried burns on in all of us
