A 15-year-old Wesley Chapel boy was killed in a crash Wednesday evening.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Jaret Harshman was a passenger in a Chevrolet Aveo that ran a stop sign and was struck by a Dodge Ram at the intersection of Culbreath Road and Powell Road near Brooksville.
Troopers said Jaret and 17-year-old Michael Miller were passengers in the Aveo, driven by 18-year-old Ryan Scott Miller.
The Aveo was northbound on Culbreath Road just before 6 p.m. when it was struck by the westbound Ram, driven by Christopher Reed Russell, 25. The Aveo ended up on the grass shoulder of the road while the Ram hit a utility pole on the side of the road.
Jaret was airlifted to Bayonet Point Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, troopers said.
Michael Miller suffered serious injuries and is recovering while Ryan Miller suffered minor injuries. Russell was not hurt.
Jaret's father, Mike, said in a Facebook post that his son was on his way to church with friends when the crash happened.
"We love Jaret, and are so proud of him -- a terrible hole will be felt in our family forever, and we are still in shock over this," he wrote.
School wasn't the same on Thursday for dozens of students who spoke to grief counselors and shared their feelings with written words for the family.
One of Jaret's teammates on the track field, James Mills, left school early to deal with his grief.
"We just cried about it," said Mills. "It was that hard on us that we didn't know what to say."
Jaret's father said it's comforting.
"He's obviously touched a lot of lives and that means a lot to us," Mike Harshman said.
Still, those who love Jaret dearly are struggling to understand why he's gone.
Jaret's father, a minister at the church, was also driving that route on Wednesday evening.
"Most of the time, I drive them up," Mike Harshman said. "But, this time they wanted to go out and eat, so I'm like, 'OK, we'll see you up there.'"
Mike Harshman approached the intersection a short time after the crash.
"We just don't know what to do," Jaret's father said. "It's your worst nightmare. You just don't think anything like this will ever happen."
Now, the family relies on their faith and the impact Jaret made on those around him.
"He was special," said Mike Harshman. "He really was a neat kid."
The students, faculty and staff of Wesley Chapel High School, where Harshman was a student, will hold a tribute to him on the school track Friday at 5 p.m.
His cross-country teammates want to honor him by holding the ceremony on the track where they ran with him during the school year. Anyone who wishes to participate can walk a lap around the track, led by his teammates, who will hold a banner signed by students and staff in his memory.