HOUSTON -- A head-on crash on a northwest Harris County highway killed a woman, a Prairie View A&M University student and a faculty member Monday morning, but authorities said they are not sure who drove the wrong way and caused the accident, KPRC Local 2 reported.

The two cars collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 290 near Mason Road shortly after 1 a.m.

Investigators said a big rig driver called 911 and reported that a dark-colored car was traveling east in the westbound lanes of the highway.

Once authorities arrived in the area, the crash had already occurred.

"The Chevrolet Impala that was occupied by two unidentified black males struck a late-model Dodge that was driven by a Hispanic female. All three occupants of the vehicles were found to have no signs of life here on the scene," Harris County Sheriff's Office Lt. D.A. Coleman said.

Deputies said they have been unable to determine who was at fault because both vehicles involved are dark-colored.

Two men in the Chevrolet Impala attended Prairie View A&M.

Lamond Foster, 22, was a senior and former football player at the school. He was from Wichita Falls.

Antwan McKinney, 24, recently graduated from the school and was on the football team. McKinney was also on the track team and worked as a graduate assistant. He was from Florida.

"We loved him dearly. He was a part of us and he will always be a part of us," friend Chris Clay said. "He was more like a brother to everybody. Everybody looked up to him -- always a friendly, big guy. Just a good guy."

Witnesses who knew the students told investigators the students were traveling back to school after attending a Super Bowl party in downtown Houston. They said their friends were not at fault.

"(The truck driver) could have very well been seeing the dark blue Dodge as opposed to the black Impala. At this time, we need to lock down some more witnesses and try to confirm one story or the other," Coleman said.

The woman's identity was not released.

The outbound lanes of the freeway were shut down until 6:30 a.m.

Deputies said the cause of the accident remains under investigation, and that alcohol has not been ruled out as a contributing factor.