Actor Alexander “AJ” Jennings, who was Chase Stokes’ stand-in on “Outer Banks”, has died after a two-car collision. He was 22.
The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office confirmed in a press release that about 2:30 a.m. local time Tuesday, a pedestrian — later found to be Jennings — had been hit while crossing a road in North Charleston, SC. The car immediately fled.
Eyewitnesses told authorities that Jennings was then hit by a second car, which also left the scene. The driver of the second car was found shortly afterwards during a traffic stop in downtown Charleston.
The actor was then transported to The Medical University of South Carolina, where he died of his injuries. The coroner’s office listed his time of death as 3:13 am
No charges have been filed and the driver of the first vehicle is still at large, police said.
Stokes, who plays John B in the Netflix series, took to his Instagram Story to mourn the loss of his friend.
“I’m still trying to process why certain things happen and why the world works the way it does,” he wrote on Wednesday.
“My heart is shattered. Your life was just beginning. We just talked about how excited you were about your tunes, how far you’d get with that old 6-string, and how you want to keep making art. Always warming the hearts of others and being so damn selfless.”
The actor said Jennings’ death was “a struggle to say the least.”
“We all love you, you touched our whole lives and made us all better people and for that, thank you AJ,” he wrote. “Fly high angel.”
Kimmie Stewart Casting also paid tribute to the up and coming actor.
“AJ was a beautiful, kind soul and a bright light on set every day,” the agency wrote in a Facebook post.
“He has moved to Charleston from New York to work as our John B photo double/booth this season. I cannot comprehend the shock and tragedy of the sudden loss of AJ and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time.”
The vibrant teen series, which also features Madelyn Cline, is currently filming its third season in Charleston.
Kimmie Stewart Casting noted that Netflix offered grief counseling to cast and crew members.
“I still don’t understand how this happened and can’t imagine the pain his family is going through,” the agency continued.
“We will miss this wonderful person and his infectious smile very much.”