Students at Wilkes Central High School were still mourning the loss of classmate, friend and flutist Megan Dula, who died in a March 3 collision, when they learned of a Tuesday night wreck that killed sousaphone players Bobby Adams, 18, and Dakota Houdeyshell, 15.

Three band members from Wilkes Central have died in traffic accidents in less than three weeks' time.

"It's almost unreal that not only are these the second and third students to die in traffic accidents, but they're all knit together in band," said Superintendent Steve Laws. "There's a lot of shock and disbelief and tremendous sadness."

About 55 students participate in the concert band at the 840-student school.

Adams and Houdeyshell were friends who had both volunteered to work the band boosters' concession stand Tuesday evening during a girls soccer game.

Adams, who lived in the opposite direction, off N.C. 115, headed toward Boomer to take Houdeyshell home after the game.

About 4 miles from the school, the 1998 Ford Escort driven by Adams was traveling south on N.C. 18 near Clear View Road at 9 p.m. when it ran off the right side of N.C. 18, according to the N.C. Highway Patrol.

Adams lost control, and the car hit several trees and overturned, coming to rest on its roof, said Trooper R.D. Holbrook.

The car was traveling an estimated 65 mph, about 10 miles over the speed limit.

Dula, 16, also of Boomer, was driving on Browns Ford Road just before 8:30 p.m. March 3 when her car crossed the centerline and collided with an oncoming SUV. The collision injured the adult driver of the SUV and killed Dula.

"Two weeks ago when I went down to talk to the band after Megan got killed, there was a lot of crying, tears, emotion," Wilkes Central Principal Steve Moree said. "This time there's a real numbness."

Patrick Watkins, a 24-year-old Appalachian State University graduate in his first teaching job, is the band director at Wilkes Central.

"They were all great kids," he said.

"Megan was one of those smiling faces you'd see every day," he said. There was a scheduled band concert shortly after she died, and they placed a smiling photo of her on her music stand and a dozen red roses in her chair.

"That picture (with the smile), she had that face the entire day," Watkins said. "To see Megan come in smiling every day was very refreshing."

She died on a Thursday evening, and he learned the news that Friday when he got to school and saw students crying.

In that Friday's first-period concert band class, they talked about their feelings and got their emotions out on the table, Watkins said.

With Adams and Houdeyshell, most people heard about the wreck Tuesday night and had been crying and upset before coming to school Wednesday.

"I'm all cried out," Watkins said. "I still feel it. I'm very much in a daze. I'm sure the kids still are."

For more than 10 minutes, the band students sat silently Wednesday morning as they listened to the BBC Orchestra version of Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings," a version recorded days after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in tribute to those who died.

"It inspires all the emotions," Watkins said. "It changes when you listen to it. It's a very calming piece at the beginning, but it's a rising piece, which gets to the climax with a few strings."

All three students were in both the 65-member fall marching band and the slightly smaller concert band.

Houdeyshell was a sophomore who transferred to the school this year from West Wilkes High School.

He was supposed to play trombone last fall, but one wasn't available.

"He was always very eager," Watkins said. "When I said, 'I don't have a trombone for you. I have a sousaphone,' he said, 'Let's try it.'"

Adams, a senior and experienced sousaphone player, helped out his new friend.

"Bobby took Dakota under his wing, and they've been friends ever since," Watkins said. "That was Bobby. He wanted everyone to get along and was a natural-born leader. He knew Dakota was in a new position in a new place."

Adams switched to tuba for concert band, and Houdeyshell went back to trombone.

Dakota Houdeyshell's survivors include his parents, Mike and Tammy Lynn Houdeyshell Cagle, and two brothers, Jeffrey Cagle and Devin Cagle.

Bobby Adams was the son of Jerry and Melinda Adams, and survivors include two half brothers and two half sisters.

Megan Dula was an only child to her parents, Clifford Douglas and Brenda Bean Dula.