Dwayne Haskins, the quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, was murdered Saturday while strolling on a South Florida roadway when he was struck by a dump truck.
Lt. Indiana Miranda of the Florida Highway Patrol confirmed the crash on westbound Interstate 595. At the scene, Haskins was pronounced deceased.
Miranda did not indicate why Haskins, 24, was driving on the freeway at the time. The highway was closed for many hours as a result of the collision.
Haskins’ passing elicited condolences from throughout the NFL, particularly among his former colleagues with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Commanders.
Haskins was drafted in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft by Washington out of Ohio State. As a rookie, he started seven games and went 2–5. The next season, he went 1–5 in six starts for the squad before being dismissed. Coach Ron Rivera of the Washington Redskins said he was devastated to learn of Haskins’ passing.
The Steelers signed Haskins a month after he was released by Washington in January 2021, giving him an opportunity to rebuild his career. Haskins expressed his gratitude for the opportunity and stated that he was excited to work hard and learn as much as he could from Ben Roethlisberger and Mason Rudolph. After Roethlisberger was placed in the COVID-19 protocol the night before the game, he made the roster as a third-stringer but only dressed once, as the backup in a draw with Detroit.
Both Tomlin and general manager Kevin Colbert lauded Haskins’ progress since joining the team, and the Steelers re-signed him as a restricted free agent in March to a one-year deal. He was expected to contend for a position with Rudolph and Mitch Trubisky.
