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Dallas Mavericks honor Palestine ISD coach killed in crash

Michael Coyne, a teacher and coach at Palestine Junior High, was coming back from the Dallas Mavericks game when he and his passengers were struck by another car.

WILMER, Texas — The Dallas Mavericks honored an East Texas coach who was killed in a head-on collision on the way home from Sunday night's playoff game against the Golden State Warriors by putting his picture on the jumbo-tron at the American Airlines Center.

According to Palestine ISD, Michael Coyne, a teacher and coach at Palestine Junior High, was coming back from the Dallas Mavericks game when he and his passengers were struck by another vehicle.

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) reports, around 11:45 p.m., Wilmer police were called to the scene of a wrong-way driver headed northbound in the southbound lanes of Interstate 45 that struck two vehicles.

Credit: Palestine ISD

When police were en route, the learned the vehicle had a head-on collision in the southbound lanes of I-45, just south of Mars Rd.

Officials say the female driver of the wrong-way vehicle and two juvenile passengers were pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the other vehicle, identified as Coyne, also died. Two minors in Coyne's vehicle, who are also Palestine ISD students, were taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The district said they are extending their condolences to Coach Coyne’s family, friends and students.

DPS says they are working to determine if alcohol was a contributing factor of the crash.

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