BATON ROUGE - Three Southern University students and members of the Human Jukebox died in a crash involving an 18-wheeler Tuesday night. They were outside of a broken-down vehicle when they were struck.

Dylan Young, Brody Moore and Tyran Williams died in the wreck while on their way home to Texas for Christmas break. The crash happened along I-49 north of Natchitoches.

Sources said one of the students was on the phone at the time of the wreck, and the person on the other end of the call contacted police.

In a release late Wednesday morning, Louisiana State Police said the students' 1999 Jeep Laredo was stopped on the side of the roadway with a flat tire.

"For reasons still under investigation, a northbound 1997 Freightliner, driven by 62-year-old Clyde Gay of Coushatta, drifted onto the northbound shoulder, struck the left side of the Jeep and impacted all three pedestrians," LSP said.

The driver of the semi was not hurt and laboratory tests will be done to check for any impairment.

"They were very humble. I talked to some of them yesterday and told them have a safe trip," Band Director Kedric Taylor told WBRZ. "[Brody's] last words to me were, 'Mr. Taylor I'm just taking a box and a suitcase home. I'll be back in a month.'"

"I'm just thankful for knowing them and having them in my life," Taylor said.

Southern University's president released the following statement Wednesday.

Dear Southern University Community,

It is with a heavy heart that I share the news of the tragic deaths of three of our students who reportedly succumbed to injuries in a vehicular accident on Tuesday evening in Natchitoches Parish. Our thoughts are with their families, friends, classmates and other loved ones. All three young men were members of the Southern University Human Jukebox Marching Band, to which we also extend our condolences.

Southern University students, I know that the sudden loss of a classmate or friend can be devastating. I encourage you to reach out to someone you trust to talk about your feelings. Know that the University Counseling Center is also here to assist you. You can visit the Center, email counselingcenter@subr.edu or call 225-771-2480 during normal University business hours. You can also call the Holistic Behavior 24-Hour Crisis Hotline any time at 225-368-9602. For other resources, go to subr.edu/counselingcenter. Employees can also find community resources here.

While information is still being gathered during this difficult time, we fully respect the privacy of the families of our beloved students. We will share ways to remember them in the near future.

Donations to help the families of the students can be made at https://foundation.sus.edu/jukebox-fund/

In-state rival Grambling State University shared its condolences with the Southern community via social media.

Grambling State University would like to express our deepest condolences to our @SouthernU_BR family in the loss of 3 band members due to a crash involving an 18-wheeler. #WeAreOne pic.twitter.com/KvUpFiUnGl

— Grambling State Univ (@Grambling1901) December 7, 2022