Three members of the Southern University marching band, the “Human Jukebox,” were killed in an accident involving an 18-wheeler truck, reported NBC 5 DFW.
The crash happened Tuesday night in the Natchitoches area of Louisiana, according to Louisiana State Police Master Trooper Casey Wallace, who confirmed to members of the media that three people had died in the collision.
SU President-Chancellor Daniel Shields tweeted condolences on behalf of the school, along with a photo of an official statement.
“The SU Family extends our sincerest condolences to the loved ones of Broderick Moore, a freshman majoring in music; Dylan Young, a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering; and Tyran Williams, a freshman majoring in music,” the statement read.
Moore, 19, was from Cedar Hill. Williams, 19, and Young, 21, were both from Dallas. Director of Bands Kendric Taylor said two of the students killed were tuba players, and one was a percussionist.
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards posted condolences on social media, writing, “We join the Southern University family and especially the Human Jukebox Marching Band in mourning the deep loss of the three students whose lives were tragically cut short after yesterday’s accident.”
The accident, described by the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office as a major crash, occurred on I-49 northbound near the village of Powhatan around 7:40 p.m., the sheriff’s office said.
The students were driving in a jeep and had stopped on the northbound shoulder of the highway to change a flat tire, according to state police. While they were trying to change the tire, a truck drifted onto the shoulder, hitting the Jeep’s left side.
The 62-year-old truck driver sustained no injuries during the crash, according to police. Toxicology reports are pending.
“I had just talked to him earlier this week and he was excited to come home and tell me all about his first semester at Southern,” Tarrant County Judge Kenneth Sanders said of Moore to NBC 5. Sanders, an alumnus of Southern University and a friend of Moore’s family, had taken the young man under his wing.
Sanders said he took Moore to Major League Baseball games and helped him prepare for college life. “Because he was going to my alma mater, I spent a lot of time with him this summer helping him get ready,” Sanders said.
Taylor released a statement saying he was at a “loss for words and utterly devastated to hear the news that three of my band members lost their lives. The dedication and work ethic they displayed to the Human Jukebox was inspiring.”
I extend my condolences and prayers to the families of the three victims