Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins died on Saturday morning after he was struck by a dump truck while trying to cross a major interstate in Florida, police confirmed to The Hill.
Around 6:37 a.m. on Saturday, Haskins, 24, attempted to cross the westbound lanes on Interstate 595 in Broward County and was hit by the dump truck, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Haskins was pronounced dead on the scene. The Florida Highway Patrol said there is an open investigation into the incident. Police do not know yet why Haskins was crossing the busy highway.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported the news.
Haskins was training with teammates in South Florida, ESPN reported, citing his agent.
Haskin had signed with the Steelers last season after two seasons playing with the Washington Commanders.
Mike Tomlin, the head coach of the Steelers, said in a Saturday statement he was “devastated” by the news and “at a loss for words.”
“He quickly became part of our Steelers family upon his arrival in Pittsburgh and was one of our hardest workers, both on the field and in our community,” Tomlin said. “Dwayne was a great teammate, but even more so a tremendous friend to so many. I am heartbroken.”
Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera also mourned the death of the team’s former player, saying Haskins was a “talented young man who had a long life ahead of him.”
“I know I speak for the rest of the team when I say he will be sorely missed,” Rivera said in a statement. “Our entire team is sending our heartfelt condolences and thoughts and prayers to the Haskins family at this time.”
Haskins, who was born in New Jersey and grew up in Maryland, entered the NFL in 2019 after playing with the Ohio State Buckeyes and becoming a finalist for the Heisman Trophy in 2018.
Ohio State football on Saturday tweeted a picture of Haskins when he was with the team along with the caption “Leader. Legend. Forever a Buckeye.”
— Updated at 4:24 p.m.