“He was attempting to cross the westbound lanes of Interstate 595 when there was oncoming traffic,” Miranda said in an emailed statement.
Miranda didn’t say why Haskins was on the highway at the time. The accident caused the highway to be shut down for several hours, and Miranda said it’s “an open traffic homicide investigation.”
Haskins, 24, was a member of the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers and reportedly was in Florida working out with other members of the team.
He finished third in Heisman trophy voting after his one season starting for Ohio State.
Ohio State issued this statement: “The Ohio State Department of Athletics is terribly saddened to learn of the death of Dwayne Haskins Saturday morning. We are thinking of the entire Haskins family during this most difficult time. Our prayers are with the family, and with his current and former teammates, coaches, friends and relatives.”
Dwayne Haskins, an Ohio State standout and NFL QB, died Saturday morning in a car accident in South Florida, agent Cedric Saunders told @AdamSchefter. pic.twitter.com/9kWEcEDafQ
— ESPN (@espn) April 9, 2022
He left the Buckeyes and was drafted by the Washington football team, but spent last year as a backup in Pittsburgh.
The Steelers released a statement today offering condolences.
“I am devastated and at a loss for words with the unfortunate passing of Dwayne Haskins,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said in the statment. “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.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Kalabrya, and his entire family during this difficult time.”
Haskins was a four-star sophomore from Maryland when he came to Ohio State.
He backed up J.T. Barrett as a redshirt freshman in 2017, but Buckeyes fans will remember he played hero at Michigan, leading the Buckeyes back from a 20-14 deficit in Ann Arbor after Barrett was injured in the third quarter.
The next season, Haskins beat out Joe Burrow in the spring to be named the starter for 2018.
Burrow transferred to LSU and a season later won the Heisman trophy.
The 24-year-old Haskins was a first-round draft choice of Washington in 2019 and started seven games, going 2-5 as a rookie. The former Ohio State star was 1-5 in six starts the next season for the team, then was released.
The Steelers gave Haskins a chance to resurrect his career in January 2021 when they signed him a month after being released by Washington. Humbled by the decision, Haskins stressed he was eager to work hard and absorb as much as he could from Ben Roethlisberger and Mason Rudolph. He made the roster as the third-stringer but only dressed once, serving as the backup in a tie with Detroit after Roethlisberger was placed into the COVID-19 protocol the night before the game.
Tomlin and general manager Kevin Colbert both praised Haskins for his improvement since joining the team, and the Steelers re-signed him to a one-year deal as a restricted free agent in March. He was expected to compete with Rudolph and Mitch Trubisky for a spot.
“We’re excited to see what Dwayne can provide, either from competition, or maybe he evolves as a starter,” Colbert said in January.
Haskins appeared to be working in South Florida this week with several teammates, including Trubisky and other skill position players, including running back Najee Harris and tight end Pat Freiermuth.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
