It’s been over 2 years since the tragic death of former Washington Commanders quarterback Dwayne Haskins at just 24 years old, and now there’s finally closure for his widow regarding a wrongful death lawsuit filed after he was struck by a dump truck while trying to cross Interstate 95 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on April 9, 2022.
USA Today’s Tom Schad reported on December 12 that Kalabyra Haskins, the widow of Dwayne Haskins, had dismissed the final remaining wrongful death lawsuits she’d filed against over a dozen people and entities in regards to her late husband’s death.
“Dwayne Haskins’ widow has voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit that she filed against more than a dozen people or business entities following her husband’s death in 2022, according to court records filed Wednesday,” Schad wrote. “Kalabrya Haskins’ lawyer, Rick Ellsley, confirmed to USA TODAY Sports on Thursday morning that his client is dropping the lawsuit after reaching a series of settlements with parties involved, including a previously announced settlement with the driver and owners of the dump truck that struck and killed Haskins in April 2022.”
Big Ten Star Became Washington’s First Round Pick in ’19
Washington made Haskins its first round pick (No. 15 overall) in the 2019 NFL draft after just one season as Ohio State’s starting quarterback — a season in which Haskins and the Buckeyes went 13-1 and he was named Big Ten Most Valuable Player after throwing for a staggering 4,831 yards, 50 touchdowns and 8 interceptions while completing 70 percent of his passes. Haskins also rushed for 108 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Haskins signed a 4-year, $14.37 million contract with Washington after he was drafted and in 2 seasons with the franchise, things continued to go steadily downhill. In those 2 seasons, Haskins went 3-10 as a starter while throwing for 2,804 yards, 12 touchdowns and 14 interceptions and was ultimately released from the team with 1 week left in the 2020 season over questions about his work ethic and commitment to the team.
Haskins bounced back in 2021 as the third string quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers behind Ben Roethlisberger and Mason Rudolph and was in Florida going through offseason workouts with teammates prior to his death.
Some Mystery Remains Surrounding Haskins’ Death
While the lawsuits have been dismissed around Haskins’ death, some mystery still remains as to the circumstances surrounding that day.
A toxicology report done on Haskins’ body following his death revealed he had a blood alcohol level of .24 — 3 times the legal limit in Florida — and he also tested positive for a smorgasbord of drugs that included ketamine, methamphetamine, oxymorphone and norketamine.
In her lawsuits, Haskins’ widow, who is the daughter of former NBA shooting guard Grant Gondrezick and sister of WNBA shooting guard Kysre Gondrezick, alleges that while Haskins was trying to cross I-95 after his rental truck ran out of gas, he was the victim of a group with nefarious intentions before that occurred.
“The lawsuit claims that Haskins was drugged, robbed, and extorted before being struck by a dump truck while standing on a highway in South Florida,” Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio wrote in August 2023. “Haskins allegedly was drugged and robbed by a man and three women.”