A driver who fled police and his passenger were killed after their car smashed into a pickup truck late Tuesday night in Anoka, according to authorities.

Just after 11:30 p.m., a Coon Rapids officer tried to make a traffic stop on 2000 Buick LeSabre on Hanson Boulevard near Gateway Drive Northwest, but the driver took off and a short pursuit began, the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office said in a Wednesday statement.

The pursuit was called off by Coon Rapids police as the car entered Anoka, where about a mile down the road it crashed into a 2006 Dodge Ram on Main Street near Ferry Street, the sheriff’s office said. The driver of the fleeing vehicle died at the scene, while his passenger — also a man — was transported to a hospital, where he died of his injuries.

The driver of the pickup truck had minor injuries and was released at the scene.

The names of the men killed are being withheld by authorities pending notification of family.

The crash remains under investigation by the Minnesota State Patrol, Anoka and Coon Rapids police and the sheriff’s office.

The last few players rom Daytona Beach Mainland High to play for UCF turned out to be quite productive. Knights coaches are hoping 2024 safety Zavier “Zay” Mincey is next.

Mincey was offered a scholarship by UCF on Tuesday, one of numerous offers the big defensive back — 6-foot-3, 190 pounds — has picked up recently. Mincey now has 13 offers from schools including Auburn, Notre Dame, Ole Miss and Texas A&M, so the Knights have their work cut out for them to win him over,

Mincey, a multi-sport standout, competed at the Florida Track and Field Championships in Gainesville this past week. He didn’t have his best performances, but finished 10th in the long jump (21 feet, 4¾ inches) and 11th in the high jump (5 feet, 11½ inches).

Last season for Mainland, Mincey averaged 3.2 tackles per game and had 1 tackle for loss. He also had 2 interceptions and 6 pass deflections.

The recent history of success for Mainland players at UCF was highlighted by the self-proclaimed fastest man in college football Adrian Killins, who finished his UCF career as the fifth-best rusher in UCF history with 2,459 career rushing yards and 25 touchdowns. Killins was last in the NFL as a roster player with the Denver Broncos. He is a free agent.

Offensive tackle Marcus Tatum also had a solid stay at UCF after transferring from Tennessee. Tatum earned all-AAC honors in each of his final two seasons as a Knight. Tatum recently signed a free-agent contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

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