Two Lakewood Ranch High School students die in crash in East County

Two Lakewood Ranch High School teenagers died in a two-car accident Saturday evening at the intersection of State Road 64 and Pope Road in East County.

A Florida State Highway Patrol report said Chase Coyner, a 17-year-old senior at Lakewood Ranch High School and his passenger, 15-year-old Matthew Powers, were killed at 7:38 p.m. when Coyner turned the 2012 Honda Accord he was driving into the path of a 2007 Dodge Ram pickup driven by Dallas Gross, 39, of Lake Placid.

Twelve-year-old Ayla Gross of Lake Placid was transported to Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg in critical condition. Dallas Gross suffered only minor injuries.

The report said Coyner was traveling westbound on State Road 64 and entered the turn lane, not seeing the other vehicle before turning into the path of Gross's vehicle, which was eastbound. The front end of the Dodge Ram hit the right side of the Accord.