Former Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III appears in Las Vegas Justice Court on Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021, after being involved in a fatal crash on Tuesday. He is facing DUI and reckless driving counts.
Published Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021 | 9:43 a.m.
Updated Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021 | 11:50 a.m.
Former Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III was driving about 156 mph before a crash early Tuesday that killed a Las Vegas woman who was trapped in a burning SUV, prosecutors said today in court.
They also revealed that Ruggs, 22, had a blood-alcohol content of .161%, more than twice the legal limit to drive. A loaded gun was found on the floorboard of the car, prosecutors said.
Ruggs was arrested Tuesday on DUI and reckless driving counts. He could face up to 46 years in prison if convicted of the charges prosecutors plan to pursue, Chief Deputy Prosecutor Eric Bauman said.
“Life is about choices,” Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said. "Mr. Ruggs made a choice, and he’s going to have to live with the consequences."
Ruggs was driving a Chevrolet Corvette on Rainbow Boulevard, near Spring Valley Parkway, about 3:40 a.m. Tuesday when he rear-ended a Toyota Rav4 SUV, according to Metro Police. The car was traveling at 127 mph when the airbags deployed, prosecutors said.
Ruggs hit the SUV at such a high rate of speed that its fuel tank ignited, engulfing the vehicle in flames and trapping the driver, prosecutors said. A dog in the SUV also died.
A Metro arrest report released today identified the driver of the SUV as Tina Tintor, 23, of Las Vegas.
"In my 24-plus years of of prosecuting vehicle crimes, that is the highest speed I have ever heard of,” Bauman said.
The SUV was in the far right lane on Rainbow when Ruggs’ Corvette, which was in the center lane, veered right and hit the SUV from behind, the police report said. The Corvette traveled another 519 feet and the SUV 571 feet after the crash, the report said.
A witness said he heard screaming coming from the SUV but was "overcome with smoke and heat from the flames" and could not get the driver out, the report said. He said he saw Ruggs hanging out of the car, with his legs still inside, the report said.
Another witness said he also tried to pull Tintor out of the SUV, but she appeared to be pinned in the vehicle, the report said. She died “as result of the fire,” the report said.
Ruggs showed signs of impairment, police said. He declined to perform a field sobriety test, and a search warrant was later issued to perform a blood draw to test his blood-alcohol level, the report said.
Ruggs wore a neck brace and was wheeled into Las Vegas Justice Court this morning for an initial hearing. He suffered injuries to his legs, Wolfson said.
A passenger in Ruggs’ car, his girlfriend, Kiara Je'nai Kilgo-Washington, 22, of Las Vegas, was also injured, police said.
Ruggs’ bail was set at $150,000, and he was ordered not to drive or consume alcohol or controlled substances. He was also ordered to surrender his passport.
Prosecutors had asked for Ruggs' bail to be set at $1 million, while defense attorneys petitioned for the lower amount.
"We are very pleased the court responded to our motion, and we’re looking forward to his release and gathering all the facts,” defense attorney David Chesnoff said. He said his team would be conducting its own investigation.
Ruggs, a former University of Alabama standout, was released by the Raiders late Tuesday.
"This is a very tragic and sad day," Wolfson said. "This woman lost her life. Another person perhaps lost his career, perhaps going to prison. This was a very, very ugly day, yesterday morning."
Raiders quarterback Derek Carr said today he walked by Ruggs' old locker and "that got me — like he's not going to be there. Not because he's fast, not because of what he can do for me, but because of the person that he is and because I love him."
