FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Through tears, a woman told a 911 dispatcher she had just seen a man die on Interstate 595 in Broward County. Authorities later identified him as Dwayne Haskins, a 24-year-old quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Haskins was attempting to cross I-595′s westbound lanes when he died at about 6:30 a.m., on April 9, near the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
“Oh my God! Oh my God! What the [expletive] is wrong with you? Get the [expletive] out of the road ... Oh my God ... I am in the middle of 95 ... There was a man hit in front of me. I was traveling on the road and I saw a dump truck hit the man ... I am on the side of the road ... and he is in the middle of the road.”
The audio of the 911 call shows the witness’s anger and panic turned into shock and anguish. Another 911 call on that Saturday morning was from Haskins’ wife, Kalabrya Haskins, who was in Pittsburgh.
“My husband is stuck on the side of the highway ... He had to go walking to get gas ... We were on the phone. He said he was going to call me back ... and I kept calling and kept calling and he wouldn’t answer,” she said.
The 911 dispatcher later said, “I don’t want you to panic but I am going to be honest with you. We do have an incident on the highway, but I can’t confirm if that is your husband or not ... We have units en route right now. I think rescue just got on scene. Hang tight.”
The Florida Highway Patrol investigation identified two vehicles: The red dump truck that struck Haskins as he attempted to cross I-595 and a gray sports utility vehicle that made contact with Haskins’ body before Capt. Rod Watkins pronounced him dead. A witness reported there was a third vehicle involved and described it as a beige sedan, according to the FHP report.
Both drivers waited for authorities to arrive near the exit ramp from the westbound lanes of I-595 to State Road 9.
Read the partial transcripts of the 911 calls
Witness’s call
Caller: “Oh my God!” [Expletives]
911 Dispatcher: “911 what’s the address of the emergency? Hello 911?”
Caller: (Indistinct commotion). “Oh my God!” (Cries) ... “Hello?”
911 Dispatcher: “Hello this is 911, you are on the line.”
Caller: “I’m sorry ma’am! I was trying to hear you and I’m in the middle of 595!”
911 Dispatcher: “OK, ma’am, what’s going on there?”
Caller: “There was a man hit in front of me. I was traveling on the road and I saw a dump truck hit the man!”
911 Dispatcher: “Are you with him right now?”Caller: “I’m on the side of the road, yes. And he’s in the middle of the road. You saw him get hit by a dump truck, is that correct?”
Caller: (Crying) “Yes. Block the road! Somebody must have hit him.”
Kalabrya Haskins’ call
911 Dispatcher: “911 Regional Communications, how can I help you?
Kalabrya Haskins: “Hi I’m calling because my husband is stuck on the side of the highway, he had to go walk and get gas and then he said he was returning to the car on the highway. We were on the phone, he said he was going to call me back after he put the gas in, and I kept calling and calling and he wasn’t answering. I got his location and I just want somebody to go in the area and see if his car’s there, if he’s OK, if anything happened to him.”
911 Dispatcher: “Ma’am, ma’am, ma’am ... What highway was he on?”
Kalabrya Haskins: “Um... so on the phone his location says it’s by Marina Boulevard, Southwest 19th Terrace.
911 Dispatcher: “You said was he walking?”
Kalabrya Haskins: “Yes. On 595.”
911 Dispatcher: “Where are you?”
Kalabrya Haskins: “I’m in Pittsburgh, PA, I’m at home. We were on the phone because he was getting gas and he called me and so, that’s just not like him for him not to call me back and for his phone to go dead. He was stranded by himself. He was walking though.”
911 Dispatcher: “Alright so I don’t want you to panic but I’m going to be honest with you. We do have an incident on the highway but I can’t confirm if that’s your husband or not.”
Kalabrya Haskins: “Please Lord, please bring him back to me. I have a question, you said they called, it was a rescue, was it an accident or what was it?”
911 Dispatcher: “I can’t disclose that right now ma’am. I’m sorry.”
5 p.m. report
12 p.m. report
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April 11 report
April 10 report
April 9 report
April 9 report