Ex-NFL player DJ Hayden, 33, and THREE of his former college football teammates among six killed in horror Houston crash after vehicle ‘sped through red light and collided with another car’

• Former NFL star D.J. Hayden is among six people to have been killed in Houston
• Vehicle sped through a red light and collided with his SUV at 2am on Saturday
• DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news 

Former NFL star D.J. Hayden and three of his former college football team-mates are among six people to have been killed in a car crash in Houston early on Saturday.

Hayden, 33, and former University of Houston football players Zach McMillian and Ralph Oragwu were among the victims of the crash, which happened at 2am at the intersection of Pierce Street and Fannin Street.

The Houston Chronicle are reporting a fourth former Cougars football player was also killed but has not been identified.

Asst. Chief Megan Howard of the Houston Police Department said a Chrysler 300 went speeding through a red light around 2am and then hit an Acura SUV, which had Hayden and his former team-mates inside. 

Investigators said that the drivers of both vehicles lost control, the SUV flipped, and four people were killed at the scene – including the female driver of the Chrysler. 

Former NFL star D.J. Hayden, 33, was killed in a car crash in Houston at 2am on Saturday

A Chrysler 300 sped through a red light and hit the Acura SUV Hayden and his friends were in

Four people were killed at the scene – including the female driver of the Chrysler

A further four victims were taken to the hospital, where two more died. A female victim is still believed to be fighting for her life in hospital and another person was ‘alert and talking with police’.

Local law enforcement confirmed one of the victims was a homeless man and local TV station Eyewitness News spoke to one of his friends sleeping close by.

‘Literally, it sounded like two trains crashing together. I can still hear the sound in my head. It’s nerve-wracking,’ he said.

‘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.’

A two-time All-Conference USA honoree with Houston, Hayden made national headlines after a collision in practice caused a tear of the main vein carrying blood from the lower half of the body to the heart.

Doctors at the time said the injury was 95 per cent fatal but decisive work from medics and surgery helped Hayden survive. 

Hayden was drafted No. 12 overall in the 2013 NFL Draft by the then-Oakland Raiders

Former University of Houston football player Zach McMillian also died in the collision

He was discharged from the hospital a week later and was selected by the Raiders No. 12 overall in the 2013 NFL Draft.

The cornerback spent nine seasons in the NFL and also played for the Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars and Washington Commanders. 

Hayden recorded 328 tackles, 4.5 sacks, four interceptions and four forced fumbles in 92 career games.

McMillan played for the Cougars from 2010 to 2013 and Oragwu represented them between 2009 and 2013.

The Cougars are due to play against the Cincinnati Bearcats at home at 7pm on Saturday night.  

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