Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins was killed after being hit by a dump truck in South Florida, and officials said that it is an “open traffic homicide investigation.”
Haskins, who previously started for the Washington NFL team, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, near Fort Lauderdale, on Saturday, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The former Ohio State University standout was reportedly in Florida training with fellow Steelers quarterback Mitch Trubisky. Haskins recently renewed his contract with Pittsburgh last month after serving as a backup to former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger last season.
Haskins was hit and killed by a dump truck while “walking on a limited access (highway) for unknown reasons” near the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Broward County at around 6:30 a.m. on Saturday morning, said the Florida Highway Patrol in a release.
Following Haskins’s death, there was an outpouring of condolences and grief on social media.
“I am devastated and at a loss for words with the unfortunate passing of Dwayne Haskins,” longtime Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said in a statement Sunday. “He quickly became part of our Steelers family upon his arrival in Pittsburgh and was one of our hardest workers, both on and off the field and in our community.”
“Dwayne was a great teammate, but even more so a tremendous friend to so many,” Tomlin added. “I am truly heartbroken.”
“The Ohio State Department of Athletics is terribly saddened to learn the death of Dwayne Haskins Saturday morning,” the college wrote in a separate statement. “We are thinking of the entire Haskins family during this most difficult time. Our prayers are with the family, and with his current and former teammates, coaches, friends and relatives.”
While playing for the Buckeyes, Haskins was a runner-up for the Heisman Trophy before he was drafted in 2019 by the then-Washington Redskins, which was recently renamed the Washington Commanders. But he was released before the 2021 season and signed a deal with the Steelers.
“Dwayne was a talented young man who had a long life ahead of him,” Commanders coach Ron Rivera said in a release. “This is a very sad time and I am honestly at a loss for words. I know I speak for the rest of our team in saying he will be sorely missed. Our entire team is sending our heartfelt condolences and thoughts and prayers to the Haskins family at this time.”
