Adam and Abigail Jackson, who were among the 20 people killed ina horrific limousine accident on Saturdayin upstate New York, were longtime sweethearts who cherished being parents to their two young children, their close friend tells PEOPLE.
“You’ll find many people that will call Adam their best friend. That is just the type of person he was,” Cushing, 34, says of Adam, his longtime friend who he’s known since their time playing baseball in grade school.
“That is why it was such an honor when he asked me to be his best man. We grew up together — from immature high school freshmen playing video games all night.”
Adam and Abigail were parents to two daughters, 4-year-old Archer and 16-month-old Elle, according to theTimes Unionand aGoFundMe pageset up to provide for the kids, which has raised more than $65,000. According to the campaign, donations raised from the page will be given to the children’s grandmother, Beth, and will be used for expenses and schooling as they grow up without their parents.
“I don’t want to speak for his family, but I will say their lives were devoted to their kids,” Cushing, whose brother, Patrick, is a godparent to Archer, says of the couple. “They were such amazing parents.”
Over the course of their 15-year friendship, Cushing was able to see first hand Adam and Abigail’s relationship evolve from a budding romance to a fully blossomed love affair.
It was after graduation that Cushing and his brother, along with Abigail, Adam and Adam’s sister, all moved in together. Looking back, they are times that he feels fortunate to have experienced.
According to some witnesses, the limo was traveling at60 miles per hourat the time of the accident.
Alan Tavenner, a supervisor for the town of Schoharie, tells PEOPLE that the intersection has been the scene of many accidents over the years, due to a deep hill that drivers must navigate as they enter the junction. Because of its design, it is possible for drivers coming down the hill to mistakenly believe the road continues on.
An investigation into the crash is ongoing.
As he copes with the pain of losing so much over the course of a single afternoon, Cushing says he will miss the special friendship that he shared with Adam, one that he enjoyed for nearly half of his life.
“Adam was a quick thinker, witty, and an ear always available to listen,” Cushing says. “I’d really like for his family to best tell his story, but for me, he was like my second half.”
source: people.com
