Report: Steelers QB Dwayne Haskins had blood-alcohol level more than twice the legal limit when fatally hit
(CNN) — Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins had a blood-alcohol level more than twice the legal limit when he was fatally struck by a dump truck on a South Florida highway in April, according to a report from the Broward County Medical Examiner’s Office obtained by affiliate WSVN and shared with CNN.
Haskins, 24, was trying to cross the westbound lanes of Interstate 595, near the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, on the morning of April 9 when he was fatally hit, CNN previously reported.
The Florida Highway Patrol told the medical examiner that Haskins ran out of gas on the side of I-595 and left his vehicle on foot around 6:15 a.m. to look for gas, the report says.
Around 6:30 a.m., witnesses began calling 911 to report a pedestrian walking in the lanes of traffic, the report says. The dump truck driver told authorities he was driving along in the dark when Haskins appeared in the center lane of the highway and the driver hit him.
According to the report, Haskins’ blood alcohol level was 0.20 at the time of his death, which is 2.5 times Florida’s legal limit of .08.
His cause of death was determined to be multiple blunt force injuries, the report says.
An investigator also spoke with the head of security for the Steelers who said Haskins was training with his teammates all day and then went to dinner with the team, according to the report. After dinner, the security head said Haskins and a friend went to a club where “they drank heavily.”
“On behalf of Dwayne’s wife, his family, and his memory, and on behalf of the truth, we respectfully request and pray for privacy, for patience, and for the public to withhold any judgment during this period while the law enforcement authorities continue to investigate and conduct their important work,” a statement released on behalf of Haskins’ wife, Kalabrya Haskins, by attorney Rick Ellsley said.
The Steelers told CNN Monday night they were aware of the medical report but had no further comment at this time.
Before his death, Haskins was poised to enter his fourth year with the NFL after re-signing with the Steelers for one year.
The third-string quarterback rose to prominence at Ohio State, where he set OSU and Big Ten Conference records as a redshirt sophomore in 2018. He finished third in voting for that season’s Heisman Trophy, awarded to college football’s most outstanding player.
Haskins was selected by Washington in the 2019 NFL Draft and was released by the team in December 2020 towards the end of his second season.
He was then picked up by the Steelers in January 2021, though he never entered a regular-season game for the team.
The player’s sudden death drew statements of shock and devastation from around the league.
“I am devastated and at a loss for words with the unfortunate passing of Dwayne Haskins,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said in a statement released by the team after his death.
“He quickly became part of our Steelers family upon his arrival in Pittsburgh and was one of our hardest workers, both on the field and in our community,” Tomlin said. “Dwayne was a great teammate, but even more so a tremendous friend to so many. I am truly heartbroken.”