Henry Ruggs III will spend at least three years in prison for his role in the drunken driving crash that killed a woman and her dog. According to ESPN, the former NFL wide receiver was sentenced to three to 10 years in prison for the accident that happened in Las Vegas in November 2021. Ruggs could be eligible for parole in three years and was told by a Clark County District Court Judge this was one of the more tragic cases she has seen.
Ruggs pleaded guilty in May to one count of DUI resulting in death and one count of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter in the crash that killed Tina Tintor. “To the parents and family of Ms. Tintor, I sincerely apologize for the pain and suffering,” Ruggs said in a statement that was read to Tintor’s family.
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Before the crash, Ruggs was on the Las Vegas Raiders roster. He was cut from the team one day after the crash and finished his time with the Raiders playing in 20 games in nearly two seasons. Before the sentencing hearing, Ruggs’ attorneys asked the judge to keep his prison time to three to 10 years. They said Ruggs “wishes that he could turn back time and change the outcome of the tragic events of November 2, 2021.”
Police said that Ruggs was driving drunk and reached speeds of 156 mph just seconds before crashing his Corvette Stingray into Tintor’s Toyota RAV4, which was traveling over 43 mph. Tintor’s vehicle was propelled 571 feet, and it was revealed that Ruggs’ blood alcohol level was 0.161, more than twice the legal limit in Nevada. Before the crash, police said Ruggs was at Topgolf near The Strip with three other people, including his girlfriend, Kiara Je’nai Kilgo-Washington. The group was billed for 20 drinks, most of which obtained tequila. Kilgo-Washington was in the car with Ruggs and suffered a broken arm following the accident.
Ruggs was selected No. 12 overall by the Raiders in the 2020 NFL Draft. In his rookie season, Ruggs caught 26 passes for 452 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games. In 2021, Ruggs played in seven games and caught 24 passes for 469 yards and two touchdowns. He played college football at Alabama and helped the team win a national championship in 2017.
