Two Jackson County teens are dead after an early morning accident Thursday.

The crash happened just before 3 AM on Parchment Valley Road near Ripley.

Officials with the Jackson County Sheriff's Office say the driver of the car lost control and drove off the road. The car went over an embankment, into a hayfield, and finally came to rest in a creek.

Both of the teens were thrown from the vehicle and pronounced dead on the scene.

They are 18-year-old Richard Smith of Cottageville and 19-year-old Robert Sayre of Ripley. Officials say both were recent graduates of Ripley High School.

It is not clear which teen was driving the car but officials say the vehicle belonged to the Smith family.

Officials are investigating the cause of the crash.