BATON ROUGE - A man who was behind the wheel of a semi truck that went off-road and killed three Southern University students while they were trying to change a tire along I-49 last month has been arrested in their deaths. 

Louisiana State Police told WBRZ on Friday that Clyde Gay, 62, was booked into the Natchitoches Parish Jail sometime in the past week on three counts of negligent homicide.

The crash happened Dec. 6 near Natchitoches as Dylan Young, Brody Moore and Tyran Williams were all traveling to Texas to visit family over the winter break. Investigators said the trio was stopped on the shoulder of the interstate with a flat tire when Gay's truck hit them.

"They were very humble. I talked to some of them yesterday and told them have a safe trip," Band Director Kedric Taylor told WBRZ a day after the crash. "[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.'"

Police had been waiting on bloodwork to determine whether Gay was intoxicated during the crash. Though Gay's charges suggest he was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time, investigators found enough evidence to charge him with a crime. 

Jail officials were not immediately able to provide further details about his arrest.