Updated April 9, 2022 at 2:46 PM ET
Dwayne Haskins, a quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, died early Saturday morning in Florida. The 24-year-old died after being hit by a dump truck while walking on a South Florida interstate.
Haskins was walking on I-595 in Broward County "for unknown reasons," Lt. Indiana Miranda of the Florida Highway Patrol told NPR in an email.
Haskins was hit by the truck as he tried to cross westbound lanes, Miranda said. He was pronounced dead on the scene. The fatal crash, which is an active traffic homicide investigation, was reported at 6:37 a.m., Miranda said.
In a statement, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said he was "at a loss for words."
"[Haskins] quickly became part of our Steelers family upon his arrival to Pittsburgh and was one of our hardest workers, both on the field and in our community," Tomlin wrote. "Dwayne was a great teammate, but even more so a tremendous friend to so many."
Statement from Head Coach Mike Tomlin: pic.twitter.com/hI5QaKzBUq
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) April 9, 2022
Before joining the Steelers, Haskins had a short stint with the Washington team now known as the Commanders. The franchise selected Haskins in the first round of the NFL draft in 2019 before releasing him at the end of 2020.
Washington head coach Ron Rivera said he was "heartbroken" to hear of Haskins' death.
"Dwayne was a talented young man who had a long life ahead of him," Rivera said in a statement. "I know I speak for the rest of our team in saying he will be sorely missed."
Statement from head coach Ron Rivera pic.twitter.com/tVBLva7Dsd
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) April 9, 2022
Prior to his NFL debut, Haskins was the quarterback for Ohio State. Gene Smith, the school's athletic director, called Haskins "a legend on the field and truly a tremendous human being."
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