Dwayne Haskins Was 'Drugged' on the Night of His Death, His Widow Claims in Lawsuit
Haskins' widow Kalabrya Haskins filed a lawsuit against four people who allegedly plotted to drug and blackmail the NFL quarterback on the night he died last year
The family of quarterback Dwayne Haskins alleged Monday the NFL star was "targeted and drugged" on the night of his death, as part of a conspiracy to blackmail him.
Haskins died last April when he was struck by a garbage truck while walking across a Florida interstate at night. He was 24 years old.
Haskins' widow Kalabrya Haskins filed a civil lawsuit last month in Broward County, Florida. The filing, reviewed by PEOPLE, lists four people as defendants in the case, claiming they planned to "to blackmail and rob" the NFL quarterback on the night of his death.
According to ESPN, a toxicology report included multiple samples that showed Haskins' blood alcohol levels at .20 and .24 — greater than the state's .08 legal limit. Haskins also tested positive for ketamine and norketamine, the outlet reported.
Rick Ellsley, an attorney representing Haskins' widow, said in a statement to PEOPLE that "many questions remain unanswered" regarding the hours before the NFL star's death.
"It is believed that Dwayne was targeted and drugged as part of blackmail and robbery conspiracy," Ellsley's statement said. "In fact, his highly-expensive watch was stolen from him shortly before his death."
The lawsuit also claims negligence against a hotel company, a driving range, a restaurant and a nightclub.
The filing also accuses the truck driver who hit Hawkins of negligence, as well as listing the dump truck company, the truck's owner, Florida Department of Transportation and the rental car company Haskins used as defendants in the case.
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The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback was fatally struck by the truck while attempting to cross multiple lanes of traffic on foot after he ran out of gas along I-595. His widow, Kalabrya, had called local police to check on him after Haskins told her he was getting out of his car to walk and get gas.
A Florida Highway Patrol report reviewed by PEOPLE last year included audio recordings from Kalabrya's call to police, asking them to check on her husband after she hadn't heard back from him. "I just want somebody to go to the area to see if his car's there, see if he's O.K., if anything happened to him," Kalabrya had told dispatchers.
She added: "That's just not like him to not call me back and for his phone to go dead. He was stranded by himself. He was walking, though."
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Her lawsuit claims the dump truck driver was "driving carelessly," traveling over the speed limit, and "failed to keep a proper lookout." The filing also alleges the truck he was driving was over the legal weight limit and that the driver, the owner and the dump truck company all "failed" to maintain the vehicle's brakes and tires.
Haskins was a standout quarterback at Ohio State, leading the Buckeyes to a Rose Bowl victory in 2019. He was drafted 15th overall in the 2019 NFL draft, playing two seasons with Washington before signing a contract with Pittsburgh three weeks before his death.
"Dwayne was a talented young man who had a long life ahead of him," Washington's coach Ron Rivera said at the time. "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."
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