Teen actor Hudson Meek, best known for his role in the film “Baby Driver,” died in the hospital on Dec. 21 following injuries he sustained after falling from a moving car in Vestavia Hills, Alabama.
Meek’s death is still under investigation, police said.
“Our hearts are broken to share that Hudson Meek went home to be with Jesus tonight,” his family wrote on the actor’s Instagram account. “His 16 years on this earth were far too short, but he accomplished so much and significantly impacted everyone he met.”
“Please pray for Hudson’s family and friends as we all process this sudden and tragic loss.”
According to his obituary, Hudson died in the presence of his friends and family.
On Saturday, Dec. 28, an event is planned to celebrate the young actor’s life and accomplishments at Dawson Memorial Baptist Church in Homewood, Alabama at 11:30 am central time.
The family asked the public to consider a donation to the Hudson J. Meek Memorial Scholarship that was set up at Hudson’s school, Vestavia Hills High School.
“This scholarship will be awarded annually to a Vestavia Hills High School student,” the family said.
Meek rose to fame through his role in the 2017 film “Baby Driver,” in which he played the younger version of the main character, Baby. His movie career started in 2014 with a small part in the TV film “The Santa Con.” He later appeared in the “McGyver” reboot in 2016, the TV series “Found” in 2023, and landed a part in the Todd Wiseman Jr. film “The School Duel,” a thriller released in September 2024.
Meek also voiced Bada, the lead character in “Badanamu Stories,” a children’s show that “explores themes central to the lives of preschool children but in ways that inject whimsy, imagination, and wonder into the everyday,” according to IMDb.
Hudson is survived by his parents, older brother Tucker Firth Meek who is also an actor and voice actor, and the family dog “Rosie”, who the family said “already knows something is off at home without him.”
According to the Jefferson County Coroner’s office, Hudson sustained blunt force trauma after falling from the car on Dec. 19. He was taken to the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries on Dec. 21.
In the obituary, Hudson’s family described him as “reflective and thoughtful, however he was tenacious when he set his mind to something.”
He loved sports, became a certified open water scuba diver at 13 years old, loved skiing, and “could easily navigate the hardest trails that no one else in the family would dare attempt.”
“More than anything, Hudson was passionate about his Christian faith. He loved Bible Study meetings, youth retreats, mission trips, and just being at church,” his family wrote.