Henry Ruggs III: Driving 156 mph, Las Vegas Raider kills another driver in fiery crash
On November 2 at approximately 3:39 a.m., the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department responded to a car crash near the intersection of S. Rainbow Blvd. and S. Spring Valley Parkway, involving a Chevrolet Corvette and a Toyota RAV4. Responding officers located the Toyota on fire. Fire department personnel responded and located a deceased female inside the Toyota.
The preliminary investigation indicates the front of the Chevrolet collided with the rear of the Toyota. The driver of the Chevrolet, identified as 22-year-old Henry Ruggs III, remained on the scene and showed signs of impairment.
He was transported to UMC hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Ruggs was charged with DUI Resulting in Death and Reckless Driving. The investigation into the crash is still active.
Ruggs was a wide-receiver with the Las Vegas Raiders, but was terminated from that position following his DUI charge.
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The 23-year-old woman killed in that car crash has been identified as Tina Tintor. Records show she lived several blocks from where the crash occurred , according to ESPN.
As Ruggs’ approached the woman’s vehicle on the three-lane road, he veered right behind her before slamming into her car, police said. The RAV4 immediately burst into flames. The fire department found her inside the vehicle and declared her dead at the scene. The remains of a dog were also found in the car. ~ Yahoo! Sports
At his court hearing yesterday, CBS Sports quoted prosecutor Eric Bauman as saying that the former wide-receiver, “was traveling at 156 miles per hour about two seconds before the fatal crash, with a blood alcohol level more than twice the legal limit. A loaded gun was also found in Ruggs’ car.”
Bauman said Ruggs was uncooperative with police and medical workers, and his blood alcohol level taken within the required two hours after the crash was 0.161%. Police said previously in a statement that Ruggs “showed signs of impairment.” ~ ESPN
Ruggs’ girlfriend, Kiara Je’nai Kilgo-Washington, 22, of Las Vegas, was also in the car with Ruggs when the crash occurred. She underwent surgery for a severe injury to her arm, an injury she received in the crash.
Prior to releasing Ruggs, the Raiders tweeted the following statement: “The Raiders are aware of an accident involving Henry Ruggs III that occurred this morning in Las Vegas. We are devastated by the loss of life and our thoughts and prayers go out to the victim’s family. We are in the process of gathering information and will have no further comment at this time.“
At a November 3 press conference, Raiders’ Interim Head Coach said, “We want to express our sincere condolences to the victim’s family. A person lost their life yesterday morning, and we think it’s important to keep focus on that as we talk about this tragic event. We’re deeply saddened for everyone affected, especially the victim’s family.
“That being said, we love Henry Ruggs. We want him to know that. It was a terrible lapse in judgement, of the most horrific kind, and something that he’ll have to live with the rest of his life.”
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Charged with DUI Resulting in Death and Reckless Driving, Ruggs could be facing a maximum 26-year jail sentence.
“I cannot recall a speed that high in my career on the bench,” Judge Joe Bonaventure said after hearing that the former wide-receiver was driving at the excessive speed of 156 miles per hour, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Bonaventure ordered that Ruggs be held on $150,000 bail and that he wear electronic monitoring upon his release on bail, according to Fox News.
For more on the story, see the video accompanying this article.
(Source: LVMPD)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Follow Richard on Facebook and Twitter
