Dwayne Haskins estate reaches partial settlement in QB's death

The estate of Dwayne Haskins has reached a partial settlement with the driver, owner and broker of the dump truck which struck and killed the NFL quarterback on April 9, 2022, the Associated Press reported Friday.

Haskins was killed after the dump truck struck him while he was walking on I-595. He was 24. Haskins’ family has filed a lawsuit alleging he was drugged on the night of his death as part of a “blackmail and robbery conspiracy” against him. Haskins’ family filed the lawsuit in Broward County, Florida, in March. The lawsuit lists four individuals, two restaurants, a golf driving range and a hotel as defendants connected to the alleged conspiracy.

Rick Ellsley, the attorney representing Haskins’ family, said that settlements with various other parties have been secured. 10 defendants still remain and a court date has yet to be set.

A toxicology report concluded Haskins was legally drunk at the time of his death. Multiple samples of blood were extracted from his body and showed blood-alcohol levels of .20 and .24 respectively. Both are above the legal limit of .08 in the state of Florida. In addition, Haskins tested positive for ketamine and norketamine. The medical examiner attributed multiple blunt force injuries as the cause of Haskins’ death.

New details come out surrounding death of Dwayne Haskins

The lawsuit alleges the dump truck driver was speeding, driving carelessly and had a cargo load exceeding the legal weight limit before hitting Haskins. Haskins’ family questions how much of an effort the dump truck driver made to avoid Haskins.

The lawsuit alleges a man and three women drugged and robbed Haskins in the hours before his death. Per the family, it occurred at a Boca Raton hotel, golf driving range, bar and nightclub. Furthermore, the suit states the pickup truck Haskins rented had a mechanical issue causing it to run out of gas. The family 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, per the report from the Associated Press.

A first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft by the Washington Commanders out of Ohio State, Haskins started 13 games in two seasons. He threw for 2,804 yards with 12 touchdowns and 14 interceptions on 61.4% passing. The Pittsburgh Steelers signed Haskins in January 2021. He was inactive for all but one game that season.