Former NFL Star Dies in Crash Along With 5 Others

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has disclosed its annual estimates for vehicular fatalities in 2022. According to these projections, there were nearly 43,000 deaths due to vehicle accidents in the U.S., slightly lower than the figures from 2021. In a recent tragic incident, a well-known NFL figure was among those who lost their lives in such an accident.


The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has disclosed its annual estimates for vehicular fatalities in 2022. According to these projections, there were nearly 43,000 deaths due to vehicle accidents in the U.S., slightly lower than the figures from 2021. In a recent tragic incident, a well-known NFL figure was among those who lost their lives in such an accident.

ESPN reported on November 11 that DJ Hayden, a former NFL cornerback, along with five others, was fatally injured in a car crash in Houston. Hayden was 33 years old. Two of the deceased were his former teammates from the University of Houston, Zach McMillian and Ralph Oragwu. The crash resulted in four immediate fatalities at the scene, including the driver responsible for the accident and a pedestrian. Two others succumbed to their injuries in a hospital.

The Houston Police Department’s Vehicular Crimes Division, led by Sergeant Fendia and Officer T. Riley, reported that the SUV carrying Hayden and his friends was hit by a Chrysler 300, which ran a red light at high speed. The collision caused three individuals to be ejected from the SUV.

In terms of injuries, the Houston Chronicle was informed that a critically injured woman was hospitalized, and another individual was in the hospital but in a stable condition and able to communicate with the detectives. Another former teammate of Hayden, Jeffrey Lewis, was also injured but is currently on the road to recovery.

Hayden joined the NFL when the Oakland Raiders drafted him in 2013, after a near-fatal injury during his college career. He played with the Raiders for three seasons, then spent time with the Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, and concluded his professional career with the Washington Commanders.

The University of Houston Athletics department expressed its deep sorrow over the loss of Hayden, McMillian, Oragwu, and the injury of Lewis, extending wishes for Lewis’s quick recovery. The Raiders also issued a statement honoring Hayden’s contributions both on and off the field and expressing grief over the tragic event.

ESPN reported on November 11 that DJ Hayden, a former NFL cornerback, along with five others, was fatally injured in a car crash in Houston. Hayden was 33 years old. Two of the deceased were his former teammates from the University of Houston, Zach McMillian and Ralph Oragwu. The crash resulted in four immediate fatalities at the scene, including the driver responsible for the accident and a pedestrian. Two others succumbed to their injuries in a hospital.

The Houston Police Department’s Vehicular Crimes Division, led by Sergeant Fendia and Officer T. Riley, reported that the SUV carrying Hayden and his friends was hit by a Chrysler 300, which ran a red light at high speed. The collision caused three individuals to be ejected from the SUV.

In terms of injuries, the Houston Chronicle was informed that a critically injured woman was hospitalized, and another individual was in the hospital but in a stable condition and able to communicate with the detectives. Another former teammate of Hayden, Jeffrey Lewis, was also injured but is currently on the road to recovery.

Hayden joined the NFL when the Oakland Raiders drafted him in 2013, after a near-fatal injury during his college career. He played with the Raiders for three seasons, then spent time with the Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, and concluded his professional career with the Washington Commanders.

The University of Houston Athletics department expressed its deep sorrow over the loss of Hayden, McMillian, Oragwu, and the injury of Lewis, extending wishes for Lewis’s quick recovery. The Raiders also issued a statement honoring Hayden’s contributions both on and off the field and expressing grief over the tragic event.