The death of former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins, Jr. may not have been quite the accident officials thought it was last year, according to a lawsuit filed in Broward circuit court .
Haskins, 24, died on April 9, 2022, on Interstate 595, struck and killed by a dump truck near Fort Lauderdale’s airport as he appeared to be seeking assistance after running out of gas. The Broward Medical Examiner’s Office determined that his death was an accident. No one has been charged with any crime in connection with Haskins’ death.
But the lawsuit filed on March 23, 2023, on behalf of Haskins’ wife, Kalabrya Haskins, raises questions about why the dump truck driver didn’t see him and why Haskins was as drunk as he was at the time of his death. “It is believed that Dwayne was targeted and drugged as part of a blackmail and robbery conspiracy,” said his attorney, Rick Ellsley. “In fact, his highly expensive watch was stolen from him shortly before his death.”
The lawsuit questions why the dump truck driver failed to see Haskins after others managed to avoid him, accusing Florida Highway Patrol of failing to disclose the driver’s blood alcohol content in an official report. The driver did not provide a blood sample to investigators, according to the suit.
No connection is alleged between the driver and the events leading up to the quarterback’s death.
“The filing of this lawsuit is an important step in the process of uncovering the complete truth about this tragedy,” Ellsley said.
The lawsuit names multiple defendants, including the pub where Haskins was possibly drinking during the night leading to his death.
The suit alleges the former Ohio State star was drugged and robbed by a man and three women in the hours before the April 9, 2022, accident. They say it happened at a Boca Raton hotel, at an upscale golf driving range, a bar and a nightclub. The lawsuit does not give any specifics. Haskins, 24, had been in South Florida for offseason workouts with Steelers teammates when the accident happened.
According to a death report issued in May by the Broward County Medical Examiner’s Office, a woman Haskins was with told investigators they had run out of gas on Interstate 595 near Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport shortly before dawn. She said he went out in the dark to get more fuel.
Witnesses told the Florida Highway Patrol that Haskins was trying to wave down cars and standing in the center lane when he was hit by the truck and then an SUV. The report said he died of blunt force trauma.
Haskins’ blood-alcohol content was 0.20, according to his autopsy. That’s 2.5 times the 0.08 legal limit for driving in the state.
This report was supplemented by information from the Associated Press
Rafael Olmeda can be reached at rolmeda@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4457. Follow him on Twitter @rolmeda.
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