One year after the death of Dwayne Haskins, his family is still seeking answers about what happened during the final hours of his life. In an effort to get those answers, the family has filed a civil lawsuit, which contains some shocking new allegations.
The lawsuit, which was filed by lawyer Rick Ellsley, claims that Haskins may have been part of blackmail conspiracy the night before his death.
"It is believed that Dwayne was targeted and drugged as part of a blackmail and robbery conspiracy," Ellsley wrote in the lawsuit. "What occurred in the hours before Dwayne was killed, many questions remain unanswered."
One reason the family believes this theory is because Haskins was wearing a "highly-expensive watch" that "was stolen from him shortly before his death."
The former NFL quarterback died in the early morning hours of April 9, 2022 after being hit by a dump truck while trying to cross an interstate in Florida on foot. The Broward County Medical Examiner ruled the death an accident after releasing the toxicology report in May 2022. Here are several key details that the medical examiner released:
- Haskins was legally drunk at the time of his death. Two separate blood samples were taken from Haskins, and his blood-alcohol level was more than .20 in each sample. The lower sample measured at .20 while the higher sample measured at .24, which is three times the legal limit for driving. Haskins is believed to have been driving his car before it ran out of gas on the interstate. (The legal limit for driving in Florida is .08.)
- Legal drugs were also found in his system. The medical examiner also found ketamine in Haskins' system, which is a painkiller. The medical report didn't state whether Haskins had been prescribed the drug or if he had been using it recreationally.
- Death was ruled accidental. After leaving his car, Haskins was struck by a dump truck. The report found that since Haskins was unexpectedly in the roadway, the driver of the dump truck couldn't have done anything differently to help fix the situation. Due to the circumstances, Haskins death was ruled an accident.
Not only does the family believe that Haskins was targeted and drugged the night before his death, but they also pin a lot of the responsibility of the tragedy on the man who was driving the dump truck that struck Haskins.
"The Florida Highway Patrol Traffic Homicide Report shows that Dwayne was only feet away from making it safely across the roadway when he was struck and killed by an old dump truck," the lawsuit states. "This truck was going faster than the speed limit, carrying excessive cargo, had brake system problems, and was traveling on low tread tires with separated sidewalls."
The lawsuit also notes that many other cars were able to avoid Haskins.
"There were multiple other drivers who were driving in front of and behind the dump truck and saw Dwayne on the roadway and avoided hitting him," the lawsuit states. "A few drivers even had time to call 911 and were present in the area before Dwayne was hit."
It seems that one issue the family wants resolved was whether the dump truck driver was impaired or distracted while driving that morning.
"The truck driver's cell phone records have not yet been disclosed," the lawsuit states. "The report also notes that the driver refused to provide a blood sample to the police at the scene and still has not provided the alcohol test results."
The Haskins family is hoping to get answers that they haven't been able to find.
"The filing of this lawsuit is an important step in the process of uncovering the complete truth about this tragedy," Ellsley wrote in the lawsuit. "The civil justice system allows for subpoenas to be issued for critical documents and for sworn testimony to be taken of people who have knowledge about the events leading up to Dwayne's death."
Haskins had been in South Florida working out with some of his Steelers teammates at the time of his death. The 24-year-old, who was the 15th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, was going into his second season with the Steelers when the tragedy happened.
