Haskins estate agrees to settle with truck driver

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The estate of late NFL quarterback Dwayne Haskins has reached a “partial settlement” in its lawsuit against the driver, the owner and the broker of the dump truck that struck and killed Haskins, the family’s lawyer said Friday.

Haskins, 24, was killed April 9, 2022, while he was walking on a South Florida highway. His family alleges in the lawsuit that the driver of the truck was speeding, driving carelessly and had a cargo load exceeding the legal weight limit.

Rick Ellsley, the lawyer for Haskins’ family, said in a release that settlements with various other parties have been previously secured. There are still 10 other defendants in the case. A court date has not yet been set, Ellsley said.

The family’s lawsuit alleges that Haskins was drugged, robbed and extorted before he was fatally struck while standing drunk on a highway after running out of gas. Toxicology reports showed that Haskins was legally drunk when he was hit by the truck on Interstate 595. Separate samples taken from his body had blood alcohol levels of .20 and .24, both of which are above the legal limit of .08 in Florida.

The lawsuit, filed in Fort Lauderdale, alleges the former Ohio State star was drugged and robbed by a man and three women in the hours before the accident. The family said it happened at a Boca Raton, Florida, hotel, at an upscale golf driving range, a bar and a nightclub. The lawsuit does not give any specifics. Haskins, then with the Pittsburgh Steelers, had been in South Florida for offseason workouts.

The suit says the pickup truck Haskins had rented had a mechanical defect that caused it to run out of gas. The family also alleges that the state highway department didn’t properly maintain and light the road, or post a lower speed limit while construction work was being done. The family claims a temporary sign blocked visibility on the highway.

According to a death report issued in May 2022 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.

The Associated Press is not naming the individuals and businesses Haskins’ family are suing because no criminal charges have been filed against any of them and there is nothing yet filed in court substantiating any of the claims.

Haskins starred at Ohio State in 2018, setting several school passing records and being named the MVP in both the Big Ten Championship game and in the Buckeyes’ Rose Bowl win over the Washington Huskies.

A 2019 first-round NFL draft pick by Washington, Haskins was released by the team after going 3-10 over two seasons. He was signed for the 2021 season by Pittsburgh as a backup quarterback, but he didn’t appear in a game.