Former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III has been sentenced to three to 10 years in prison for a fatal DUI crash in Las Vegas. Ruggs, 24, pleaded guilty to one count of driving under the influence resulting in death, a felony, and one count of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter. The crash occurred in 2021 and claimed the life of 23-year-old Tina Tintor and her dog.
During the sentencing in Clark County District Court, Judge Jennifer Schwartz described the case as “one of the more tragic cases that I’ve seen.” The sentence adhered to the terms of the plea agreement, allowing Ruggs to be eligible for parole after three years.
Prior to his sentencing, Ruggs addressed the court and apologized to the family of Tina Tintor. He expressed remorse for his actions and stated that he has been searching for answers to explain his “selfish behavior” on the day of the crash. Ruggs hopes that accepting responsibility and his guilty plea will initiate the healing process for everyone involved.
In a statement read by a family representative, Tintor’s family described her as a unique individual who made a positive impact on those around her. They emphasized that her death was preventable and expressed their grief over the loss.
According to police, Ruggs was driving at a speed of 156 mph seconds before crashing his Corvette into the back of a Toyota SUV. He refused a field sobriety test, but prosecutors revealed that his blood alcohol level was 0.161%, more than twice the legal limit in Nevada.
As part of the plea deal, several other charges, including felony reckless driving, were dropped. The Clark County District Attorney’s Office explained that the plea deal was reached due to concerns that the court might suppress the blood draw results, potentially resulting in the loss of the felony DUI charge.
Ruggs was released by the Raiders shortly after the crash. In court, he expressed his commitment to raising awareness about the dangers of impaired driving and excessive speed.
Author: Ryan Scott
Just a guy
