Steve Marcus/Pool via Getty Former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III makes an initial appearance in Las Vegas Justice Court on November 3, 2021, in Las Vegas.
Former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs appeared in court on Wednesday and many more details emerged about the car crash he was involved in on Tuesday, November 2, that left a 23-year-old woman and her dog dead. Ruggs was charged with DUI resulting in death and booked into the Clark County Detention Center, according to police.
According to Katelyn Newberg of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, prosecutor Eric Bauman said in court that Ruggs was driving at 156 mph about two seconds before the crash and had “slowed” down to 127 mph when airbags deployed. According to the Review-Journal, a detailed police report indicates the Toyota “burst into flames” as the impact pushed it more than 570 feet. Alexander Hart, one of at least three bystanders who tried to help, told police he heard Tintor screaming inside her vehicle but couldn’t get her out of the vehicle, the outlet reported.
Hart told police “Ruggs was hanging from the driver’s side door of his Corvette, with his feet on the floorboard and ‘his body laying on the road,'” according to the Review-Journal. Clark County property records show he was just over three miles from his $1.1 million home, a single-story stucco home with four bedrooms and a pool that he purchased in April 2021 in an area the Review-Journal called the Del Rey Estates community.
Review-Journal reporter Adam Hill tweeted Wednesday afternoon local time that Ruggs had been at Topgolf the night before the crash and Derek Carr said in a Wednesday news conference that Ruggs had texted him at midnight asking for advice on his golf swing.
After the crash the 22-year-old wide receiver had a blood-alcohol level that was twice the legal limit of 0.8 in Nevada, according to prosecutors, Newberg said. Bauman also revealed that police found a loaded gun on the driver’s side floorboard of the Corvette, the Review-Journal reported.
Ruggs is being held in jail on $150,000 bail, according to Clark County Detention Center records viewed by Heavy. He remained in custody as of the afternoon of November 3, though the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that he posted bond “shortly after making his initial court appearance.” It was not immediately known if Ruggs has hired an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
Clark County Detention CenterHenry Ruggs pictured in his mug shot photo.
His mug shot photo and images from Newberg and other media show Ruggs in a neck brace and wheelchair. The police described his injuries as “non-life-threatening” but serious in reports issued on November 2.
Steve Marcus/Pool via GettyHenry Ruggs is seen in court in a wheelchair and wearing a neck brace.
Ruggs faces a potential two to 20 years in prison, fines ranging from $2,000-$5,000 and three-year driver’s license suspension for the class B felony charge of DUI resulting in death, according to Tashan Reed of The Athletic. He could also face a misdemeanor penalty if charged with and convicted of killing the dog, according to Nevada law. The penalty could include two days to six months in jail, 48 to 120 hours of community service, $200 to $1,000 in fines and restitution.
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The Victim Has Been Identified as a 23-Year-old Las Vegas Woman
GettyHenry Ruggs.
Newberg reported that Justice of the Peace Joe Bonaventure ordered a $150,000 bail, significantly less than the $1 million that prosecutors requested. If Ruggs is released, he will have “the highest level of electronic monitoring,” Newberg reported. Ruggs has been ordered back in court on November 10, she said. According to online records viewed by Heavy, Ruggs will not be allowed to drive and must abstain from consuming alcohol or controlled substances if released. He will be subjected to alcohol monitoring as a bail condition, records show.
In addition to the details released from the crash, more information about the victim has come to light. Ricardo Torres-Cortez and Rio Lacanlale of the Las Vegas Review-Journal identified the woman killed in the crash as 23-year-old Tina O. Tintor. Police named her as the victim in a report, according to the newspaper.
According to public records, Tintor lived in Las Vegas and has also lived in Upland, California. Little other information about Tintor was immediately available. Her relatives were in court for Ruggs’ first hearing, according to the Review-Journal. District Attorney Steve Wolfson told reporters, according to the newspaper, “The family’s torn apart, as anybody would be. This was a terrible, terrible collision, so they’re mourning their loss. They’re grieving. They’re mad.”
No Red Flags on Ruggs out of College
Coming out of college, nobody could’ve seen Ruggs being involved in a situation like this. He was a hard worker at Alabama and earned praise from coach Nick Saban. One of the most appealing things about him coming out of college is that he didn’t have many of the character traits that other star wide receivers have.
Doug Gottlieb of FOX Sports reached out to a director of player personnel, two general managers and three scouts to see if there were character concerns with Ruggs coming out of college.
“I asked if there were any red flags with Henry Ruggs. I’m not going to show you my text messages but all said essentially no. None of them,” Gottlieb revealed. “The only thing was that he did come from a tough upbringing and he was the kind of kid who let others hang around that he didn’t need to have hang around anymore. That said, no one could’ve seen this coming.”
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