Three members of Southern University's marching band, the Human Jukebox, were killed in a car crash Tuesday night, according to a social media post by the university.
The post identifies the young men as Broderick Moore, a freshman majoring in music from Cedar Hill, Texas; Dylan Young, a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering from Cedar Hill; and Tyran Williams, a freshman majoring in music from Irving, Texas.
The university is offering counseling for students dealing with the loss of their classmates, the post states.
Here's the post:
State Police say the young men were trying to change a flat tire.
The initial investigation revealed that a 1999 Jeep Laredo was stalled on the northbound shoulder of I-49. The occupants of the Jeep were attempting to change a flat tire on the vehicle. For reasons still under investigation, a northbound 1997 Freightliner, driven by a 62-year-old Coushatta man, drifted onto the northbound shoulder, struck the left side of the Jeep and impacted all three pedestrians.
Williams, Young, and Moore sustained fatal injuries and were pronounced dead on scene. The truck driver, who was restrained, sustained no injuries. Routine toxicology tests are pending. The crash remains under investigation, troopers say.
Troopers say: While the cause of this crash remains under investigation, distracted and inattentive driving continues to be a leading cause of crashes in our state. Louisiana State Police urges all motorists to stay alert while driving. A lapse in one’s awareness can have deadly consequences.
In 2022, Troop E Troopers have investigated 51 fatal crashes resulting in 55 fatalities.
Here's more from the Advocate:
The Natchitoches Parish Sheriff's Office in a statement described the collision as a "major crash." It happened around 7:41 p.m. Tuesday evening on I-49 Northbound north of Powhatan, the sheriff's office said, snarling traffic as first responders reduced the road to a single lane.
A boosters organization for the Cedar Hill High School band in Cedar Hill, Texas said on Facebook that two of the school's alumni and current Human Jukebox band members were killed in the crash along with a third member of Southern's band.
A city of about 49,000 in the Dallas-Forth Worth area, Cedar Hill is about 250 miles and a four-hour drive from Powhatan, the Natchitoches-area town near which officials said the crash occurred, according to Google Maps.
To read the Advocate's full story, click here.
