The mystery surrounding Dwayne Haskins’ death has deepened after his family revealed that he was “targeted and drugged” on the night he died.
The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback was hit by a garbage truck in April 2021 as he walked across a Florida interstate. His widow Kalabrya Haskins filed a lawsuit last month in Broward County, claiming multiple people drugged him as part of a larger conspiracy to blackmail and rob the 24-year-old. The suit names 14 people. Four of the defendants, Karlee Peyton, Joey Smith, Meriem Yassine, and Wissal Yassine, are accused of drugging Haskins “to blackmail and rob him causing him and/or contributing to cause him severe injury and death.” The suit, however, does not include details on the allegations.
The lawsuit also names the driver of the dump truck. Kalabrya claims he didn’t do enough to avoid hitting Haskins, despite other drivers successfully avoiding Haskins. However, one other car partially struck him while trying to swerve around Haskins after the truck hit him. The official probe conducted by Florida Highway Patrol Traffic revealed that the driver was speeding in a truck with brake issues and carrying excessive cargo. Additionally, the truck’s tires needed replacing.
The Broward County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed that Haskins had alcohol in his system that was over the legal limit. Ketamine was also detected in his body. The drug is a sedative that can be used to treat mental disorders such as depression and schizophrenia. It is also popular for recreational use, causing possible hallucinations. The Pittsburgh Steelers admitted that Haskins sometimes drank heavily and occasionally used marijuana. Still, he was not known to have any mental issues that would warrant the use of ketamine. The team was not aware of any hard drug use.
A woman who was with Haskins on the night he died said his car ran out of gas, and he was walking to get fuel. When he was hit, he was in the center of the roadway and had tried to wave down several cars before he was fatally pummeled. No charges have been filed.
A hotel company, nightclub, and restaurant have also been named in the suit, though it’s unclear what role these establishments may have played. What is also unknown is who was targeting Haskins’. The investigation is ongoing.
