INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Atlanta-native and Indianapolis Colts player Edwin Jackson was killed early Sunday by a suspected drunk driver.
Police said the crash happened shortly before 4 a.m. Sunday along Interstate 70 in Indiana.
Authorities said Jackson and Jeffrey Monroe, 54, were standing near a stopped vehicle when a black Ford F-150 pickup truck drove onto the emergency shoulder and hit them both.
The driver of the pickup truck, Alex Cabrera Gonsales, 37, tried to run away from the scene but was caught by police. Police say Gonsales did not have a driver’s license and was intoxicated.
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Jackson's family told Channel 2's Matt Johnson he was going home from a Pacers game when the deadly crash happened.
“We were heartbroken to hear the news of Edwin Jackson’s passing,” the Colts said in a statement. “Edwin was loved by all in the Colts organization. We admired his outgoing personality, competitive spirit and hard-working mentality. He was well-respected among all with whom he crossed paths, and he will be greatly missed in our locker room and throughout our entire organization. We also understand that another person lost his life in the accident, only adding to our sorrow on this day. We are shocked and saddened by this tragedy, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families of both men during this difficult time.”
Jackson attended Westlake High School in Atlanta, where he was a letterman in football and wrestling.
He played college football at Georgia Southern University.
"To have a kid that's so good, that worked so hard, that was fufilling his dream, to be taken so early, is devastating," said Daniel Meachum, a family friend who said he knew Jackson for his entire life.
"When you're able to assess why this loved one is gone then maybe anger sets in but right now everybody is hurting," Meachum said.
Jackson's family back in Atlanta will always miss him and those who knew him hope the community will never forget him.