Just days after graduating high school, 18-year-old Aiden Alexander was dreaming of summer and his future. But in a heartbreaking turn, celebration gave way to tragedy.

On a Thursday afternoon in Pinconning, Michigan, Aiden was driving his 16-year-old sister, Halen, home from school with their dog, Moose. It was a routine drive—until a pickup truck crossed the center line and hit them head-on.

The crash was devastating. Aiden died at the scene. Halen was critically injured, and their dog didn’t survive.

Their mother learned of the crash not from a phone call—but from her daughter’s Apple Watch alert. Her repeated calls went unanswered. By the next day, the halls of Pinconning High, where Aiden had just walked the stage in cap and gown, were heavy with grief.

“Aiden was kind, respectful—just the kind of student you’d want in your class,” said Superintendent Andy Kowalczyk, struggling through tears.

Aiden had been planning to enter the trades. He loved archery, joked with family, and was eager to build a life. Instead of celebrating his graduation, his family is now preparing for his funeral.

His sister, still hospitalized, hasn’t been told yet. She doesn’t know her brother—and best friend—is gone.

The community has stepped in, launching a GoFundMe to help with funeral expenses and Halen’s medical care. Messages of support and heartbreak continue to pour in.

Aiden’s funeral will be held Thursday, June 12. Those who loved him remember not just the tragedy—but the joy he brought.

“He was a good kid,” said his cousin. “Full of dreams.”

And now, a town mourns the dreams that ended too soon.