Six people died in the early hours of November 11 when a speeding Chrysler 300 ran a red light on Fannin Street in downtown Houston and struck an Acura MDX at the intersection with Pierce Street. Among the dead were three former University of Houston football players: D.J. Hayden, Zachary McMillian, and Ralph Oragwu. Hayden had gone on to an eight-year NFL career after college. The driver of the Chrysler was also among those killed.
How the Crash Happened
According to Houston police and KHOU 11, the collision occurred just after 2 a.m. The Acura was traveling through a green light when the Chrysler came through at high speed on a red. The force of the impact ejected people from both vehicles. The Chrysler also struck a man believed to be unhoused on the nearby sidewalk, killing him as well. The identities of the other victims were not immediately released by authorities.
D.J. Hayden’s Story
D.J. Hayden’s story carried particular weight within the Houston football community. In 2012, he suffered a life-threatening injury during a University of Houston practice — a collision that required emergency surgery and left his survival in doubt. He made a full recovery, and the following year was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders. He went on to play eight seasons professionally, including time with the Detroit Lions and Jacksonville Jaguars, before retiring after the 2020 season. At the time of his death, he was coaching the defensive backs at Second Baptist School in Houston.
A Community in Mourning
The University of Houston athletic department released a statement expressing grief for all three former players. The Las Vegas Raiders also issued a tribute for Hayden. Six families lost someone that morning because a driver ran a red light at speed in an intersection in the middle of the night — a preventable outcome that makes the tragedy harder to process.
Crashes like this one are a reminder that reckless driving doesn’t only put the driver at risk. Everyone sharing the road, in intersections, on sidewalks, carries the consequences.
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