Former NFL Player D.J. Hayden Killed In Horrific Car Crash
By Kelly Coffey-Behrens on November 11, 2023 at 2:39 PM EST
D.J. Hayden, a former first-round pick in the NFL, was one of six who died in a horrific car crash. Hayden was just 33-years-old.
The tragic car accident occurred early Saturday morning in Houston, Texas, and resulted in the death of six individuals, including Hayden, who played for the University of Houston before playing nine seasons in the NFL.
NFL Star D.J. Hayden Passes Away At Age 33
D.J. Hayden was one of six people killed in the horrific car crash Saturday, which occurred when a car ran a red light early in the morning (at approximately 2 a.m. CST.)
The Houston Police Department stated that four people were pronounced dead at the scene -- including the female driver who ran the light. Four others were transported to the hospital. Two of those four have since been pronounced deceased.
Among the deceased include D.J. Hayden, as well as former University of Houston teammates Zach McMillan and Ralph Oragwu.
"This morning, about 2 a.m., Houston police received a call about a major crash," Police Chief Megan Howard said during a briefing following the incident. "We had two vehicles involved - a black Chrysler 300 and a black Acura SUV."
"The Chrysler 300 was Southbound and the SUV was Eastbound. The Eastbound vehicle had the right away and the other vehicle ran a red light. It appeared to be going very fast, [at a] high velocity," she added. "At the scene, there were a total of four individuals pronounced deceased. An additional four individuals were transported to the hospital, and two since being transported to the hospital have been pronounced deceased."
https://twitter.com/houstonpolice/status/1723287831655682303?s=20
A female is in serious condition at the hospital, as she has "life-threatening injuries." A male is also in the hospital who investigators are interviewing for further information.
Howard then told the public that the driver of the car at fault was pronounced dead at the scene. One of the males who was pronounced dead at the scene appeared to be a homeless man.
According to police, it is unclear who was driving the other vehicle, but will be determined as the investigation goes on. Police hope to get more information from the one male survivor who is in the hospital.
Victim's Friend Speaks Out Regarding Fatal Car Crash
ABC Eyewitness News was able to speak to one of the victim's friends -- the male believed to be homeless -- who was sleeping not far from the scene.
"Literally, it sounded like two trains crashing together," the friend told the outlet. "I can still hear the sound in my head. It's nerve-wracking."
He added, "I was right next to him. I just had something in my gut telling me to get up, and I got up. But it could have been me," seemingly describing that the two were sleeping next to one another on the sidewalk when the incident occurred.
Former NFL star D.J. Hayden spent four years in Oakland playing cornerback before he played for Detroit, Jacksonville, and Washington. During his nine-year NFL career, the cornerback had four interceptions, 46 passes defensed, 4.5 sacks, and 328 total tackles.
R.I.P.
