NFL Player, a pedestrian, Killed by Dump Truck on South Florida Highway
NFL player Dwayne Haskins, a pedestrian, was recently tragically killed on a South Florida highway under circumstances that remain unclear. Haskins, who was only 24 years old and was in South Florida to train in the off-season with other members of the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers, was attempting to cross the westbound lanes of I-595 near Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Broward County at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday morning when he was struck by a dump truck. Haskins was pronounced dead at the scene. There is no indication as to why he was attempting to cross the highway.
At this point, very little is known about the circumstances of Haskins’s death. A promising young professional football career was cut short and there are many unanswered questions about why Haskins was walking across an expressway so early on a Saturday. His car could have stalled, or he may simply have run out of gas, and he was attempting to get to the nearest gas station or to get help or he was attempting to cross the freeway for some other purpose entirely. Regardless of what the answers end up being, this is a sobering reminder of how dangerous of a place South Florida can be for pedestrians. This is one of the most car-dependent urban areas in the country and, if you happen to be a pedestrian, then this can be one of the most dangerous places to live.
Taking Your Safety as a South Florida Pedestrian Seriously
As a pedestrian on the road in Florida, ensuring your own safety begins with you. Although motor vehicles are required to follow several specific rules when interacting with pedestrians in Florida, most pedestrians know that very few drivers in South Florida actually follow the law, even if there are pedestrians around. Therefore, if you are attempting to cross a road or even simply walking down the sidewalk, it is imperative to take every single measure that you can to ensure your own safety.
The first thing you can do is to ensure that you are always being alert and paying attention. Stay off your phone, particularly if you are attempting to cross the road. Regardless of whether you have the walk signal or not, proceed with caution. Many cars will ignore their obligation to stop well before a crosswalk and simply pull up all the way to the light, potentially hitting any pedestrians who may be trying to cross the road at the time in the process. Always cross the road at designated intersections, as you can never be sure if the cars on the road have seen you or not, which can be particularly hazardous if you are attempting to cross the road outside of a marked crosswalk. Lastly, assume that motorists will not follow the rules, which will help you to be as cautious as possible.
Contact Schwed Adams & McGinley
At Schwed Adams & McGinley, our experienced personal injury attorneys have decades of legal experience representing pedestrians who have been injured by motor vehicles and those injured in other types of motor vehicle accidents and all variety of personal injury scenarios. As a pedestrian in South Florida, ensuring your own safety starts with you. You need to take all reasonable precautions you can to ensure your own safety given that most South Florida motorists will completely fail to do what they are supposed to do when pedestrians are present on the road. Therefore, if you or a loved one has been injured in a Florida pedestrian accident or other personal injury scenario, contact our experienced personal injury attorneys today at contact@schwedlaw.com or (877) 694-6079 today.