Colts Linebacker Edwin Jackson Killed By Suspected Drunk Driver Ahead Of Super Bowl LII

Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson was killed after he was hit by a suspected drunk driver. He was 26-years-old. NBC Sports reports that Jackson was standing with another man on the emergency shoulder of Interstate 70 when a pickup truck sped into the shoulder and hit the football player. The 54-year-old man who was with Jackson at the time also died.

Social media tributes have poured in for the linebacker since the news of his death went public. Pat McAfee, the retired placekicker and punter for the Indianapolis Colts, called Jackson one of his favorite teammates on Twitter.

“Just learned about the passing of one of my favorite teammates.. Always happy.. always uplifting.. always humble..he was a true shining light on this earth..Such an incredibly sad day for anybody who has ever been lucky enough to be around or befriend Edwin Jackson.. RIP Ed..damn.”

“I cannot possibly explain to you how nice a human being Edwin Jackson was. RIP Pound Cake,” sports reporter Stephen Holder wrote.

Authorities say that the driver of the truck tried to escape from the scene on foot but he was eventually captured by the police. His name is Alex Cabrera Gonsales. According to NBC Sports, the 37-year-old man was driving without a license and he was inebriated.

The Indianapolis Star reports that the crash happened shortly before 4 a.m.

#BREAKING: Colts player Edwin Jackson struck and killed by suspected drunk driver on I-70 https://t.co/XDTipTnjvL pic.twitter.com/uAsr4SWJFk

— FOX59 News (@FOX59) February 4, 2018

Jackson’s team put out a statement praising his personality and hard work. They added that he was “well-respected” among the people who knew him and that his teammates will miss him. They ended the statement by offering their thoughts and prayers to the family of both men who lost their lives.

As the Indianapolis Star reports, Jackson joined the Colts’ roster late in the 2015 season, but he started playing in games for the team in 2016. During that year, he appeared in all 16 Colts games and started in eight. Jackson became one of the Indianapolis Colts’ top three tacklers during the season, achieving over 65 stops. An unfortunate injury during the preseason meant that Jackson was sidelined during all of the 2017 season and he was placed on the reserved list. He had been trying to recover from the injury so that he could start playing in games again during the 2018 season.

Originally from Atlanta, Jackson played high school football and was involved in wrestling as well. He also played for the Arizona Cardinals before he joined the Indianapolis Colts three years ago.