| Advertisement |
Nov. 3 (UPI) -- Former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III drove his Chevrolet Corvette 156 mph before he hit a Toyota Rav4 and caused a fatal wreck in Las Vegas, a police investigation determined Wednesday. Ruggs, 22, was arrested Tuesday and faces felony charges of driving under the influence of alcohol resulting in death and reckless driving, according to Las Vegas court records. He made his first appearance in Las Vegas Justice Court on Wednesday morning.
Advertisement
Prosecutors said that Ruggs' blood-alcohol level was 0.161, two times the legal limit in Nevada, according to CBS Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Review-Journal and AL.com.
Judge Joe Bonaventure ordered a $150,000 bail and electronic monitoring for Ruggs if he is released. Ruggs also was ordered to abstain from alcohol and not to drive, according to the reports.
Ruggs still was listed as an in-custody inmate Wednesday afternoon in the Clark County Detention Center database. His next court appearance is Nov. 10.
According to a police report that detailed the incident, officers responded to a the scene of the collision at about 3:39 a.m. PDT time Tuesday. They arrived to find the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette, driven by Ruggs, and a 2013 Toyota Rav4, which was on fire.
Fire department personnel found Tina Tintor, 23, and a dog dead inside the Toyota.
The report said Ruggs' girlfriend, Kiara Je'nai Kilgo-Washington, was a passenger in the Corvette during the crash. Ruggs and Kilgo-Washington, 22, were treated for non-life-threatening injuries at University Medical Center.
Ruggs was booked into Clark County Detention Center at 2:11 p.m. Tuesday.
The police investigation determined that Ruggs was traveling at 156 mph before he veered right and struck the rear of the Toyota. The car was traveling 127 mph when its airbag deployed.
The Toyota traveled 571 feet after impact, according to police.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department public information officer Misael Parra said Tuesday that Ruggs showed "showed signs of impairment" while on the scene with officers.
The Raiders announced they released Ruggs at 8:50 p.m. Tuesday. The team said in a statement that it was "devastated by the loss of life."
Ruggs, 22, joined the Raiders as the No. 11 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. The former Alabama star appeared in each of the team's seven games this season. The Raiders did not play last week.
The death from the collision marks the 199th traffic-related fatality this year in the Las Vegas police department's jurisdiction.
A conviction for a DUI causing death charge carries a potential sentence of two to 20 years in Nevada. Probation is not an option for that charge in the state.
Ruggs' reckless driving charge carries a potential sentence of one to six years in prison, but probation is available.
Ruggs' attorneys at Chesnoff & Schonfeld issued a statement on behalf of the wide receiver and said they are "conducting" a separate investigation. They also asked for "everyone to reserve judgement until all the facts are gathered."
Ruggs was under contract with the Raiders through the 2023 season. The four-year, $16.6 million contract included an option for the 2024 season.
The Raiders will face the New York Giants at 1 p.m. EST Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
