Dwayne Haskins' family has filed a lawsuit, claiming that the NFL player was drugged as part of a "blackmail and robbery conspiracy" prior to being run over and killed by a dump truck on a South Florida highway last year.
Haskins' widow Kalabrya, together with Haskins' parents, filed the complaint in Broward County last month. It lists a number of defendants, including the Florida Department of Transportation, two hotels, two restaurants, and four people.
According to a statement from the family's lawyer, Rick Ellsley, the action "is an important step in the process of uncovering the full truth about this tragedy."
Haskins, 24, lost his life after he was struck by the truck on Interstate 595's westbound lanes close to the Interstate 95 exit on the morning of April 9, 2022.
After her husband had assured her over the phone that he was going to acquire gas for his rental car and would call her back, Kalabrya Haskins dialled 911.
Haskins, who had been wandering on the highway, was reportedly pronounced dead at the scene, according to Florida Highway Patrol officials.
An autopsy revealed that Haskins was apparently seen flagging cars down on the shoulder of I-595 when he was struck by the truck and an SUV.
According to the lawsuit, the dump truck's driver was speeding, driving negligently, and "failed to operate his vehicle in a reasonably prudent manner."
The toxicology report from the autopsy stated that Haskins' blood alcohol level was 0.20 and 0.24 in two tests, which is significantly higher than Florida's 0.08 legal limit.
The autopsy revealed that Haskins had also tested positive for ketamine and norketamine. Ketamine is a potent sedative that can also be taken recreationally. It is also commonly referred to as Special K.
The lawsuit makes the unsubstantiated assertion that the hotels, restaurants, and driving ranges engaged in negligence "by permitting customers to use drugs and to drug other customers."