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Outer Banks star Chase Stokes mourns loss of friend and stand-in killed in hit-and-run

Outer Banks star Chase Stokes mourns loss of friend and stand-in killed in hit-and-run

Outer Banks star Chase Stokes mourned his friend and stand-in Alexander "AJ" Jennings, who was killed in a hit-and-run on Tuesday morning.

In a statement, the Charleston County Sheriff's Office confirmed that a pedestrian was killed around 2:30 a.m. while walking on the road in North Charleston, S.C. where the cast and crew of Outer Banks was filming the third season.

A car hit the pedestrian then fled the area. The victim was transported to the hospital where he died. The Charleston County Coroner identified the victim as Jennings in a statement to PEOPLE.

Chase Stokes attends the red carpet of the movie "Competencia Oficial" during the 78th Venice International Film Festival on September 04, 2021 in Venice, Italy. (Photo by Stefania D'Alessandro/Getty Images); https://www.instagram.com/p/CNQgp5vhbev/ alexjennings05 Damn it’s been a year Instagram 65w
Chase Stokes attends the red carpet of the movie "Competencia Oficial" during the 78th Venice International Film Festival on September 04, 2021 in Venice, Italy. (Photo by Stefania D'Alessandro/Getty Images); https://www.instagram.com/p/CNQgp5vhbev/ alexjennings05 Damn it’s been a year Instagram 65w

Stefania D'Alessandro/Getty; alexjennings05/Instagram

"It is with great sadness that I share on Tuesday Alexander 'AJ' Jennings' mother informed me of his tragic death,"  Kimmie Stewart Casting said in a statement on Facebook. "AJ was a beautiful, kind soul, and a bright light every day on set. He moved to Charleston from New York to work as our John B photo double/stand-in this season."

Stokes, who plays John B. on the hit Netflix series, posted an Instagram Story tribute to Jennings.

"Still trying to process why certain things happen, and why the world works in the ways that it does," he wrote on Wednesday. "My heart is shattered. Your life was just starting. We JUST talked about how pumped you were about your tunes, how far you'd come with that ole 6 string and your want to keep creating art. Always always making others hearts warm and being so damn selfless."

He added, "I wish I had more words to say right now, but the past day has been a struggle to say the least. We all love you, you touched all of our lives and made us all better people, and for that — thank you, AJ. Fly high, angel ❤️."

Set in a community in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Outer Banks explores the divide between wealthy seasonal residents ("Kooks") and working-class locals ("Pogues"). John B. (Stokes) is the ringleader of a group of teenage Pogues determined to find out what happened to John's missing father. The series was renewed for a third season this past December.

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