“It was a horrific case.. What sticks with me the most about it is the crash didn’t kill her. She could’ve walked away from the impact and lived a completely normal life. But she burned to death, and her dog burned to death, and she suffered. It haunts me.”
Those were the words of Chief Deputy District Attorney Eric Bauman who spoke about the deadly DUI crash that former Las Vegas Raiders receiver Henry Ruggs III caused that claimed the life of a 23-year-old woman and her dog.
Clark County District Court judge Jennifer Schwartz sentenced Ruggs to 3-10 years in prison for the November 2021 drunken driving crash.
A judge has sentenced former #Raiders WR Henry Ruggs to 3-10 years in prison for a fatal DUI crash that led to the death of a woman and her dog in 2021. pic.twitter.com/xbxCptbOJU
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 9, 2023
Ruggs, 24, had been on house arrest with alcohol and location monitoring devices since pleading guilty in May to charges of DUI resulting in death and misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter.
Dressed in a dark blue suit and flanked by his lawyers, Ruggs expressed remorse and read a statement directed at the family of the victim, Tina Tintor: “To the parents and family of Ms. Tintor, I sincerely apologize for the pain and suffering.”
He went on to express regret for letting down his family, teammates, and supporters: “I let my family, teammates, and those that believed in me down with my actions.”
Ruggs also expressed a desire to raise awareness about the dangers of impaired and excessive-speed driving, aiming to prevent similar tragedies in the future. “My actions are not a true reflection of me,” he stated.
The court documents had revealed Ruggs’ attorneys’ plea to keep his prison sentence within the range of three to 10 years. They emphasized Ruggs’ remorse and desire to change the outcome of the tragic events.
Tina Tintor, 23, and her dog Max tragically lost their lives due to thermal injuries sustained in the collision. The court learned that Ruggs was driving under the influence with a blood alcohol level of 0.161, more than twice the legal limit.
Ruggs, a high school and college football star had been the Raiders first draft pick after the team moved to Las Vegas. However, his promising career was abruptly cut short by the tragic incident.
As per law enforcement officials, on November 2, 2021, Ruggs operated a vehicle under the influence of alcohol and accelerated to a speed of 156 mph moments before colliding his Chevrolet Corvette Stingray with Tintor’s Toyota RAV4, which was traveling slightly above 43 mph.
The impact propelled Tintor’s RAV4 a distance of 571 feet. A blood sample taken about two hours after the accident indicated that Ruggs’ blood alcohol concentration was 0.161, which exceeds the legal limit in Nevada by more than double.
In the period leading up to the collision, authorities revealed that Ruggs had been present at Topgolf near the Strip with a group of three others, including his girlfriend, Kiara Je’nai Kilgo-Washington. P
olice referred to a detailed Topgolf receipt, which showed charges under Kilgo-Washington’s name for food, beverages, and gaming. The group was billed for a total of 20 drinks, primarily containing tequila.
Additionally, Ruggs and Kilgo-Washington were reported to have spent approximately three hours at a friend’s residence before the crash. Police stated that during this time, Ruggs was engaged in playing pool and learning how to play poker.
Except for limited statements made in court, Ruggs has refrained from addressing the case publicly. However, law enforcement did secure a transcript of a prison phone call made by Ruggs on the day following the accident.
In the conversation with an unidentified individual lasting five minutes, Ruggs confessed to being intoxicated. He further disclosed that his last recollection prior to the crash was centered around learning to play poker, stating: “I don’t even remember leaving,” as per the transcript obtained by the police.
The entire story is absolutely tragic in every single way. Having said that, there’s no denying Ruggs got off easy with only being sentenced to 3-10 years. The time that he actually serves will most likely be on the lower end of that range.
Leave it to the voice of justice authority, O.J. Simpson, to shed some light on the matter (sarcasm).
The math just does not add up. pic.twitter.com/7sCKLEdzyq
— O.J. Simpson (@TheRealOJ32) August 9, 2023
