William Scott Miller, 16, and Timothy York Barrows, 15, both of Raleigh, died in a two-car accident on U.S. 401, two miles south of Rolesville about 8:30 p.m. The two were students at Wake Forest-Rolesville High School and had just left a Halloween party.
The State Highway Patrol says a drunk driver was involved in the accident. Francisco Melendez of Louisburg is charged with DWI and driving without a license.
The high school students who were killed had not been drinking.
Officials say the car Miller was driving westbound on state road 2049 was hit by another car at the intersection of 2049 and U.S. 401. Barrows was the right front passenger in Miller's car.
Students and faculty at Wake Forest-Rolesville High School are mourning the loss of the two students.
Classmate Brandon Shultz feels the shock differently than some others. The 16-year-old told WRAL's Mark Roberts that he had gotten a ride from the students to a Halloween party just 30 minutes before the accident.
"We were going back to the party, we had walked up and went trick-or-treating," says Brandon Shultz. (They weren't drinking or anything?) No, they were as cool as could be."
Shultz says the students are shaken up, but most are dealing with the tragedy with the help of counselors available at the school.
Teachers describe Barrows and Miller as two bright, popular students. Chuck Hess, a teacher and friend of the Burrows family, says Tim's mother wanted everyone to know a few things about what happened.
"Neither one of them suffered any pain," says Hess. "They were both on life support systems based on the fact they were organ donors."
Counselors will be on hand for students again on Tuesday.
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