FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A toxicology report from the medical examiner’s office in Fort Lauderdale, Florida found that there was alcohol and ketamine in former Washington quarterback Dwayne Haskins’ system on the night of his death.
The 24-year-old son, husband and brother died of multiple blunt force injuries after being hit by a dump truck while trying to cross multiple lanes of traffic on a highway early in the morning of April 9. The medical examiner’s office ruled his death an accident.
Haskins, who was playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers at the time, had spent the day before he died training with his teammates and then going out to dinner, according to Jack Kearney, the head of security for the Steelers. In his statements in the ME report, Kearney said Haskins had left dinner to go to a nightclub in Miami with a friend or cousin, but they had gotten in a fight and separated.
In the report, Kearney said Haskins had been “drinking heavily,” but said he was not known to do any drugs beyond marijuana.
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Haskins’ wife, Kalabrya Haskins, said she had spoken to her husband shortly before the crash and that he told her he had run out of gas and was stranded on the side of the highway.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, witnesses began calling dispatch around 6:30 a.m. reporting “a pedestrian walking in lanes of traffic on the I-595 westbound before I-95 northbound exit.” The dump truck driver described the crash as “driving along in the darkness, and all the sudden a male appeared standing in his travel lane, which at that time was the center lane.”
The medical examiner’s office said Haskins’ blood-alcohol level was at 0.20, which is 2.5 times the 0.08 legal limit for driving in the state of Florida.
“According to the University of California, Davis, and other universities, someone of Haskins’ weight, 230 pounds (104 kilograms), would have needed at least 10 drinks in the hours before his death to reach that level,” the Associated Press reported.
Ketamine, which was also found in his system, has been used to treat severe pain, according to the NIH. The medical examiner’s office did not say Haskins had been prescribed the drug, nor did it offer a reasoning behind why it was in his system.
It’s known as a “club drug” with popularity among teens and young adults. The effects of the drug generally last 30-60 minutes and it’s known to distort sights and sounds; it “makes the user feel disconnected and not in control,” and in addition, induces feelings of calmness and relaxation, the DEA says.
Ketamine can also cause agitation, depression, cognitive difficulties, unconsciousness, and amnesia, according to the DEA, as well as Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (HPPD), which has been reported several weeks after ketamine is used and “may include experiencing the negative side effects that occurred while taking the drug initially.”
Haskins’ death was mourned by many who loved and admired him. In order to share their son’s memory with family, coaches, teammates and childhood friends, the parents of Haskins held multiple services in April, including where he was born in New Jersey and at his high school in Potomac, Maryland. The Pittsburgh Steelers also held their own funeral at the Allegheny Center Alliance Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Haskins was a standout high school athlete at Bullis School growing up. The school has since retired his No. 7 jersey. Haskins originally committed to play college ball at the University of Maryland before deciding to play for Ohio State University. Haskins was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy in 2018.
In 2019, Haskins was Washington’s first-round pick in the NFL draft, selected 15th overall. After being released by Washington in 2020, Haskins signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers.