(RepublicanPress.org) – The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently released its yearly projection for fatal car crashes during 2022. The organization estimated that almost 43,000 people died in vehicle accidents in the US for the year, a minor decrease from 2021 numbers. Sadly, a big name in the NFL recently lost his life to such an event.
On November 11, ESPN reported that former NFL cornerback DJ Hayden and five other people died in a fatal car crash in Houston early that morning. The athlete was 33. Two of the other people who died were his former University of Houston teammates — Zach McMillian and Ralph Oragwu. Four people died at the scene — including the at-fault driver and a pedestrian — and two others died at a local hospital after the crash.
D.J. Hayden, former NFL cornerback, dies in car accident that killed 5 others, university says https://t.co/x601UhYHAl
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) November 12, 2023
According to the Houston Police Department Vehicular Crimes Division Sergeant Fendia and Officer T. Riley, the SUV carrying Hayden and his companions was crossing the intersection at a green light when a fast-moving Chrysler 300 ran the red light, striking the vehicle. Three people flew from the SUV after impact.
As for injuries, police confirmed to the Houston Chronicle that one badly injured woman was taken to the hospital, and another person was at the hospital but alert and talking with detectives. Another one of Hayden’s former teammates, Jeffrey Lewis, was injured but is currently recovering.
During the 2013 NFL draft, the Oakland Raiders picked up Hayden shortly after an injury on the field almost cost him his life. The cornerback stayed with the Raiders for three years before moving on to the Detroit Lions for a year, the Jacksonville Jaguars for two, and ending his run playing for the Washington Commanders for his final year of the game.
The University of Houston Athletics released a statement dedicated to Hayden, McMillian, Oragwu, and Lewis. It said the community was heartbroken over the loss and wished Lewis a speedy recovery. The Raiders also released a statement commemorating Hayden as a player and a person and “mourning the tragic loss.”
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