Jason Ayers played drums in a local band called Tribe Describe and passed on his love for music to his two children.

He enjoyed skiing, valued religion and kept traditions. He loved milk shakes, pizza and sour fruit gummies.

Those are just some of the things that Ayers’ children and those who knew him want him to be remembered for, rather than as a faceless, unhoused individual who was hit and killed by a vehicle in Portland on June 16.

“He obviously had struggles. Everybody has struggles, especially this day and age with what’s happening in our world,” said his daughter, Kaylee Ayers, 31. “He was really trying to turn his life around. I want people to remember him for the good.”

An obituary for Ayers, who was 53 and often went by Jay, said his family and his passion for music “meant more to him than anything else in this world.”

“Jason was intelligent, compassionate, kind, thoughtful, sweet-natured, loving, and a brave person,” it states. “Anyone who knew Jason knew that he was a kind-hearted soul who loved very deeply.”

According to reports on the incident, Ayers was panhandling on a raised median at the intersection of Preble Street and Marginal Way when the 82-year-old driver of a Toyota Prius suddenly changed course, crossed over the median and hit him.

His death combines two of the city’s most pressing and complicated issues: ongoing homelessness and an increased volume of crashes involving pedestrians. City councilors will once again discuss pedestrian safety at a meeting this week.

Andrew Volkers, director of health services at Preble Street, which was Ayers’ last known place of residence, said even if the crash was simply an unfortunate accident, national research on homeless mortality points to traffic injuries is one of the most common causes of death.

Last year, Justin Mitchell was killed while attempting to cross Riverside Street near the city’s public shelter. A few months later, new crosswalks were installed.

This past winter, Preble Street honored 51 people identified as homeless in Greater Portland who died during the previous year. The average age was 57, which Volkers said is in line with data on the average age of death for homeless individuals — a number that they believe “should set off alarm bells.”

Kaylee Ayers said her dad’s story unfortunately feels all too common.

A ‘HUGE HEART’

Jason Ayers grew up in Boston and came to Maine while attending the University of Maine at Orono. He then began a 20-plus-year career at Hannaford’s distribution center in South Portland. In that span, he played dozens of shows with his band and raised and supported his kids.

“He truly had a huge heart,” said Athena Davis in response to a social media post with his obituary. “I remember many long road trips to gigs horsing around in the van. He made us laugh. He was a good drummer, man and dad.”

Kaylee Ayers and her brother, Riaen, grew up in Maine but have lived in Texas for a number of years. Kaylee said she hadn’t talked to her dad in months because he didn’t have a consistent cell phone. He struggled with addiction, which ultimately cost him his job a few years ago.

He bounced around homes, apartments and cars. He had a case worker and other people around Portland who were trying to help him. He had injuries from a previous accident and had been recently using a walker.

Fellow co-workers also shared the obituary, recalling Ayers as a friend and a good guy.

Davis said she “missed him before he was gone.”

Kaylee guesses that some “shame and guilt” perhaps kept her father from reaching out more in his final months. But she’s holding onto memories from her childhood, which she said was full of love and traditions.

WHAT COMES NEXT

Kaylee Ayers said that after reviewing the crash report, she plans to pursue legal action against the driver, who is not being identified because he has not been charged.

According to police, the crash is still under investigation. A blood sample was obtained from the driver, and the toxicology results are still pending. An initial report said the man did not appear to be intoxicated at the scene, but “does not remember much of the crash.”

In late May, Cumberland County District Attorney Jacqueline Sartoris announced that her office will begin considering charges in every car crash that injures or kills a pedestrian or cyclist. She previously said her office was awaiting the toxicology results before deciding whether criminal or civil charges are appropriate.

Ayers’ death occurred as officials in Portland had recently rolled out several parallel efforts to address increased pedestrian fatalities. Portland councilors initially called for an emergency workshop in response to the crash, which was bookended by other serious accidents and injuries involving pedestrians. Councilors will instead take up the issue Thursday during a sustainability and transportation committee meeting.

Last week, an 11-year-old boy was hit while riding his bicycle at the intersection of Brighton Avenue and St. John Street. The 19-year-old driver was using his cell phone. Sartoris said her office is also currently reviewing this incident and considering charges.

At Preble Street, Volkers said homeless individuals don’t panhandle because it’s easy. They face exposure to multiple threats: extreme heat, vehicle exhaust, traffic injuries and the stigma that comes with their situation.

Volkers said a recent survey conducted by Preble Street of 82 unhoused individuals highlights how hard it is to access basic needs — bathrooms and showers, identification and documents to apply for state assistance or jobs.

According to the obituary, there will be a memorial and celebration of life for Ayers sometime later this year at Preble Street, the shelter “that worked so hard to take care of him in his last days.”