‘Very Disturbing’: Witness Recounts Fatal Incident That Killed Steelers QB | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's Note: This post appears here courtesy of the The Daily Wire. The author of this post is Amanda Prestigiacomo.

    A Florida local who witnessed the tragic incident that left NFL quarterback Dwayne Haskins dead early Saturday morning spoke to the press about what transpired, calling the situation "very disturbing."

    Resident Chris Stanley told NBC Miami he was leaving the Fort Lauderdale Airport when he noticed numerous vehicles veering into his lane.

    "And what I noticed was a Mack truck, or a big tractor-trailer, with also another vehicle that started moving a little bit to the left," Stanley recalled. "I was in the left lane and then there was the right lane. And then I noticed an individual there starting to make their way onto the road."

    The witness said he then saw a man, presumably Haskins, raise up his arms "a little bit as he appeared to be drifting into the major highway," according to NBC Miami.

    "He was about halfway, to a quarter way in the right lane, already onto the highway and I was already concerned that somebody was going to strike him right there at that moment," the resident said.

    "Stanley said he was so concerned that he dialed 911 and shared a screenshot of his call log with NBC 6 with a call to 911 at 6:31 a.m. - six minutes before Florida Highway Patrol officials said the crash was reported at 6:37 a.m.," the report noted.

    "I did not see any vehicle nearby" that would have belonged to Haskins, Stanley recounted, adding, "I was more concerned with him because he was already making his way onto the road system."

    The witness said he was unable to draw any conclusions about what Haskins was doing, or give any other insight.

    "I could not," Stanley told the news team. "That's why it's just very disturbing. I just didn't understand the situation."

    Florida Highway Patrol announced this weekend that a traffic homicide investigation has been opened into Haskins' death.

    It was first reported that the football player was struck by a dump truck when he was walking on I-595 in Broward County, but the Florida Highway Patrol has since said Haskins was actually trying to cross the major highway for an "unknown" reason when he was struck, Penn Live reported:

    The agency [Florida Highway Patrol] said that Haskins was attempting to cross the westbound lanes of I-595 in Broward County at 6:37 a.m. when he was struck by a dump truck. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to multiple reports.

    The Florida Highway Patrol said it is unknown why Haskins was attempting to cross the expressway, and that a traffic homicide investigation is open. The quarterback was reportedly in South Florida to work out with Steelers teammates after re-signing with the team back on March 11.

    Coaches and teammates of Haskins offered their condolences upon hearing about the tragedy.

    "I am devastated and at a loss for words with the unfortunate passing of Dwayne Haskins," Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said in a statement, The Daily Wire reported. "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. Dwayne was a great teammate, but even more so a tremendous friend to so many. I am truly heartbroken."

    "The world lost a great person today," Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt posted to Twitter. "When Dwayne first walked into the locker room I could tell he was an upbeat guy. He was always making people smile, never taking life for granted. His impact on me will last... forever."

    Commanders head coach Ron Rivera said he was "absolutely heartbroken to hear the news."

    "I know I speak for the rest of our team in saying he will be sorely missed," Rivera wrote. "Our entire team is sending our heartfelt condolences and thoughts and prayers to the Haskins family at this time."

    The Daily Wire's Jeffrey Cawood reported on Haskins' football career:

    Haskins attended Ohio State University and was the second runner-up for the 2018 Heisman Trophy. He was the 15th overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft, chosen by the Washington Redskins, which has since changed its name to the Washington Commanders. He spent two seasons in Washington before being released by the team in 2020. Haskins signed with the Steelers and backed up two-time Super Bowl champion Ben Roethlisberger last season. Roethlisberger announced his retirement in January, and Haskins was expected to compete for the starting QB position this year.

    The Daily Wire is one of America's fastest growing conservative media companies for breaking news, investigative reporting, sports, podcasts, in-depth analysis, books, and entertainment for a reason: because we believe in what we do. We believe in our country, in the value of truth and the freedom to speak it, and in the right to challenge tyranny wherever we see it. Believe the same? Become a member now and join our mission.