RIO LINDA (CBS13) – Rio Linda High School students and staff are mourning a teacher and coach who died in a freak bicycle accident Monday night.

“It’s like a nightmare. I keep waiting to wake up, just hasn’t hit me all the way,” son Joe Adams said.

Witnesses say Marion Adams, who taught broadcasting and coached football and track, was riding his bike home after practice Monday evening when he crashed into a yellow gate arm near campus and was impaled.

Marcel Brown, who runs track, found Adams seconds after the accident.

“He looked like he was going to be OK. He was nodding his head yes and no. I was thinking he was going to be alright,” Brown said.

Freshman Jennifer Edwards also witnessed Adams’ accident.

“I was at the track meet with my friends and I seen it happen,” she said.

Edwards says he looked behind him, was thrown off his bike slamming into the railing, and then saw the pole go several inches into his stomach.

After hours of surgery, Adams would die.

“He was a great dad, always wanted me to do my best, tried to help everybody he could,” said Joe.

Tuesday morning, Adams’ teaching page on the website had been changed to say “In memory with love….” along with a San Francisco 49ers logo. Campus flags were lowered to half staff.

Hundreds attended a vigil for Adams held Tuesday night.

“I was like ‘wow.’ I sat in my room for like an hour and didn’t talk to anybody. I’m like ‘oh my god,’ ” said Gabrielle Mason.

Most say they’ll remember the coach and teacher’s friendly face.

“I just think of good thoughts like when he was smiling and laughing,” said Bobby Ellsworth. “He was a good dude. He really was.”

Adams’ family and friends say they will not focus on how he died but rather how he lived.