Two other former University of Houston football players, Zach McMillian and Ralph Oragwu, were also killed in the crash, according to police.
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The Houston Police Department said a driver in an SUV was traveling eastbound on Pierce and went through the intersection of Fannin at about 2 a.m. In addition, a driver in a Chrysler 300 was driving southbound on Fannin. At that time, officers said a driver was speeding when traveling southbound on Fannin and ran the red light.
Investigators said both drivers lost control, the SUV flipped, and four people were killed on the scene.
Four others were taken to the hospital, where two more people died. One of the female victims is fighting for her life Saturday morning.
Hayden suffered a major heart injury in a freak hit during UH football practice in 2012. He survived and went on to play in the NFL for the Oakland, Detroit, Jacksonville and Washington.
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Officers say one of the dead victims was a homeless man. Eyewitness News spoke to one of his friends who was sleeping not far from him, and he described the moment the vehicles collided.
"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."
Five men and one woman, including the driver at fault, were killed, according to authorities. The other victims' identities have not all been released, but sources tell ABC13 other former UH athletes are among the victims.