HOOVER, AL — A summer trip to Florida ended in unimaginable tragedy for the family and friends of Jackson Cunningham, an 18-year-old Hoover native and recent Hoover High School graduate who was fatally struck by a vehicle on the evening of July 5, 2025, while walking along Perdido Key Drive in Escambia County.
Jackson was pronounced dead at the scene by first responders. The driver remained at the site and is cooperating fully with authorities, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Officials have stated that there is no evidence of reckless driving, calling it a tragic accident.
A Future Filled with Hope and Purpose
Jackson had just graduated with honors from Hoover High and was preparing to attend Auburn University this fall, where he intended to study environmental engineering. Friends and teachers describe him as both brilliant and compassionate—a young man with the heart of a servant and the mind of a builder.
“He had this rare blend of humility and ambition,” said Principal Karen Myers. “He never bragged, but everyone knew he was going to change the world.”
In addition to his academic achievements, Jackson was an athlete and a community leader. He ran cross-country, played on the soccer team, competed in robotics tournaments, and helped launch a STEM tutoring initiative at the local middle school. He was also active in his church and regularly volunteered with Meals on Wheels and community clean-up efforts.
A Life Lived with Intention
At home in Hoover, Jackson was the kind of neighbor everyone knew and loved—always ready with a smile, a helping hand, or a deep, thoughtful conversation. He was especially close to his siblings, often helping his younger brother with math or reading bedtime stories to his sister. He loved the outdoors, books about climate science, and brainstorming creative solutions to everyday problems.
“He had a journal full of ideas,” said his mother, Sarah Cunningham. “Ways to make things more sustainable, ways to help his community. He wanted to make life better—not just for himself, but for everyone.”
Community Mourning Across State Lines
In both Hoover and Perdido Key, the response to Jackson’s passing has been profound. At Hoover High, students and teachers gathered in a silent vigil, placing candles and photos around a soccer jersey with his number. In Florida, beachgoers and locals laid flowers and handwritten notes along Perdido Key Drive near the site of the accident.
“It’s the kind of loss that reverberates,” said Mayor Frank Brocato. “Jackson represented the very best of Hoover. We are heartbroken.”
To honor his memory, the City of Hoover has pledged to review pedestrian safety infrastructure, and Jackson’s classmates have begun fundraising for improved street lighting in student-heavy zones.
Final Farewell and Ongoing 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. The family has requested that attendees wear Auburn orange—Jackson’s favorite color and a symbol of the future he was so excited to begin.
In lieu of flowers, the Cunningham family has established the Jackson Cunningham STEM Scholarship Fund at Auburn University, along with suggested donations to local robotics and youth gardening programs he supported.
Gone But Never Forgotten
Jackson’s legacy is one of kindness, intellect, and quiet leadership. Though his time on this earth was short, his impact will endure in every project he started, every young student he mentored, and every person whose life he touched.
“He was a problem-solver,” said his father, Kent Cunningham. “But more than that, he was a light. A steady, gentle light. We will carry it with us always.”
In a world that often moves too fast, Jackson Cunningham stood still long enough to ask big questions, to help others up, and to leave this world better than he found it.
And that—his family says—is how he will be remembered