Earlier this week, former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III pleaded guilty to driving under the influence in a 2021 car accident that left a woman and her dog dead.
On Wednesday, the 24-year-old appeared before the Clark County District Court in relation to his involvement in a fatal 2021 drunk driving accident. On Nov. 2, 2021, Ruggs was drunkenly driving his Corvette at 156 MPH when he slammed into Tina Tintor’s Toyota RAV4. Upon examination at the hospital, a blood draw revealed his blood alcohol level was 0.161 — more than twice the legal limit in Nevada.
Both Tina and her dog Max died of thermal injuries, a coroner determined the month after the two passed away.
Although he was released on a $150,000 bond and was confined to his home by police, his sentencing was not until this week. During the hearing, he pleaded guilty to one count of DUI resulting in death and one count of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter and faces three to 10 years in prison.
In compliance with the plea bargain, two accounts of reckless driving and one count of DUI causing substantial harm to his passenger were dropped from Ruggs’ criminal record.
According to Clark County district attorney Steven B. Wolfson, the justice system is pleased to have concluded the case.
“This outcome accomplished our three most important goals: (1) convict Henry Ruggs of the strictest charge allowed by Nevada law for drunk driving; (2) send Henry Ruggs to prison; and (3) eliminate his ability to appeal his conviction and prison sentence,” the attorney said in a statement.
He added the sentiment, “Tina’s family members are the most important people in this process, and I met with them several times before reaching this resolution.”
The family of Tina Tintor discusses Henry Ruggs’ sentencing.
Following the verdict, the Tintor family released a statement that addressed the former football player’s sentence. “Today, like every day, we remember Tina and Max, and how they were taken from us that fateful night,” they said, per their attorneys at Naqvi Injury Law.
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“No sentence will ever bring Tina and Max back, but we hope that everyone learns from this preventable incident so that no other families suffer like we do,” the family continued. “We appreciate the efforts of the district attorney’s office to overcome the issues caused by the initial investigation, and we look forward to putting this behind us so that we can focus on honoring the memories of Tina and Max.”
Ruggs’ official sentencing is to be determined in a follow-up court hearing on August 9th, 2023.
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