Dwayne Haskins / Twitter
The family of Dwayne Haskins has filed a lawsuit against several people, businesses and the state of Florida, claiming the late 24-year-old quarterback was setup by four people.
Drugged, robbed, and killed while standing drunk on a highway after running out of gas is what Haskins’ family claims happened to Dwayne in a new lawsuit.
On April 9, 2022, Dwayne was hit by a dump truck while walking on a highway in South Florida. His death was ruled an accident.
Without revealing crucial details, the family suspects foul play.
The family is attempting to hold the Boca Raton Hotel Group, the Blue Anchor Pub, the Drive Shack Palm Beach, and the E11Even Miami Club responsible for negligence, citing that each establishment “allowed patrons to use drugs and drug other patrons.”
The four guests – Joey Smith, Meriem Yassine, Wissal Yassine, and Karlee Peyton – are accused of conspiring to drug Dwayne, the lawsuit says, with the intent to, “Blackmail and rob him causing him and/or contributing to cause him severe injury and death.”
On the highway, Dwayne was feet away from safety, and several cars noticed he was on the road. The lawsuit says Dwayne was attempting to cross the interstate to find a gas station after his rental car ran out of fuel on the side of the highway. Haskins was struck by the left front side of a dump truck.
Some witnesses called 9-1-1 before Dwayne was hit by truck, which was reportedly driving above the speed limit.
“As to what occurred in the hours before Dwayne was killed, many questions remain unanswered,” attorney Rick Ellsley said in a statement. “It is believed that Dwayne was targeted and drugged as part of a blackmail and robbery conspiracy. In fact, his highly-expensive watch was stolen from him shortly before his death.”
“The filing of this lawsuit is an important step in the process of uncovering the complete truth about this tragedy,” he continued.
Dwayne played college football at Ohio State University, where he set multiple records and was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy in 2018.
Haskins was selected by the Washington Football Team in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He played two seasons for Washington before being released in 2020. He then signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the 2021 season.
Dwayne’s family’s lawsuit also accuses the rental car company (Roam Rental Car), the Florida Department of Transportation, and an unnamed contractor for the department of negligence. The contractor, Oriel Patino, has refused to submit his blood sample to the police, The Washington Times reported.
The lawsuit says the rental car company provided Dwayne with a car that was “unreasonably dangerous and hazardous because it was mechanically damaged and ran out of gas.”
The lawsuit also accuses the DOT of obstructing the view of traffic with a construction sign and failing to provide lighting or a lower speed limit at the location where Dwayne was struck.
Patino drove “carelessly” and he did not drive in a “reasonable manner” while carrying a cargo load that exceeded the legal limit, the lawsuit states. Pedro Sinecio Diaz and Sorrel Enterprises, the owners of the dump truck, were named as defendants in the lawsuit, accused of not making proper repairs to the vehicle’s brakes and tires.
“Many questions remain as to why the truck driver did not avoid hitting Dwayne given the highly visible activity in the area before the impact and the fact that the other drivers did not hit Dwayne,” Ellsley said. “The truck driver’s cell phone records have not yet been disclosed. The report also notes that the driver refused to provide a blood sample to the police at the scene and still has not provided the alcohol test results.”
The young player had traces of the painkillers ketamine and norketamine in his urine and had a blood-alcohol level two and a half times the legal limit at the time of his death, according to the Broward County medical examiner last year.
The examiner ruled Dwayne’s death an accident, the result of “multiple blunt force injuries.” The player travelled to Florida during his offseason training.
Dwayne’s death was a shock to the NFL and the sports world. He was a young, talented player with a bright future ahead of him.