Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III was involved in a two-vehicle accident early Tuesday morning. He and a female passenger were taken to a hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries, while the driver of the other car was killed.
A preliminary investigation by the Las Vegas Metro Police Department indicated Ruggs’ Chevrolet Corvette crashed into the rear of a Toyota RAV-4, which then caught on fire. The body of a woman was discovered inside the Toyota; Ruggs’ blood alcohol content was above the legal limit and he was speeding before the crash, according to prosecutors.
“We are devastated by the loss of life and our thoughts and prayers go out to the victim’s family,” the Raiders said in a statement. Later Tuesday evening, the Raiders announced that Ruggs had been released.
Here’s what we know at the moment:
What are the charges against Henry Ruggs?
Las Vegas Police say Ruggs, 22, “showed signs of impairment” following the accident and will be charged with DUI resulting in death, which under Nevada law is a Class B felony. A conviction on that charge carries a sentence of two to 20 years in prison.
He is also facing a charge of reckless driving resulting in death or substantial bodily harm, which carries a sentence of one to six years.
Henry Ruggs drove above legal drinking limit, reached 156 mph before crash
Ruggs was driving 156 mph and had a blood alcohol level of .161 – twice the legal limit in Nevada – prior to the crash that took place just before 3:40 a.m. Tuesday, according to Clark County chief deputy district attorney Eric Bauman during Ruggs’ court appearance Wednesday.
Local CBS television station 8 News reported that judge Joe Bonaventure said he cannot recall a speed that high in his career, and that the bail was set at $150,000 – the state requested bail be set at $1 million – with an electronic monitoring program and ordered Ruggs to abstain from alcohol and other controlled substances.
Victim in Henry Ruggs crash identified
According a police report obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the deceased victim is Tina O. Tintor of Las Vegas. She was 23.
Djordje Tintor, the older brother of Tina Tintor, said his family escaped war-torn Serbia in 2000 before moving to Las Vegas and that his parents were maintaining their privacy after the fatal accident. He said Tina’s dog also died and that his sister was driving home from a dog park before the crash.
Ruggs’ girlfriend, Kiara Je’nai Kilgo-Washington, who goes by the name Rudy Washington, was the female passenger in the car with him, per the Review-Journal, and suffered a wrist injury.
What is Henry Ruggs’ status with the NFL?
The league released a statement on Tuesday: “Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the victim of this horrific tragedy. We will continue to gather facts and monitor the matter under our policies, but our thoughts at this time are with those impacted by this devastating incident.”
After his release by the Raiders, Ruggs is now a free agent and can sign with any of the other 31 teams. However, he also could be placed on the commissioner’s exempt list under the NFL’s personal conduct or substance abuse policies.
How important was Henry Ruggs to the Raiders?
Ruggs, a first-round pick (12th overall) in the 2020 draft, led the team with 469 receiving yards this season. He scored two touchdowns and was the Raiders’ top deep threat, averaging 19.5 yards per catch.
Coming off a bye last week, Las Vegas has a record of 5-2, good for first place in the AFC West.
How have Henry Ruggs’ former teammates and coaches responded?
Nick Saban, Ruggs’ coach at Alabama, shared his condolences with the victim’s family, but also said he supports Ruggs and his family. “These consequences are going to probably be pretty devastating to Henry,” Saban added. “We love him. We’re going to support him through it, but we also have a lot of compassion for the victims, and our thoughts and prayers are also with them.”
Raiders interim coach Rich Bisaccia and quarterback Derek Carr also expressed sadness for the victim’s family and Ruggs.
“We love Henry Ruggs, and want him to know that,” Bisaccia said. “It’s a terrible lapse in judgment, of the most horrific kind. It’s something that he will have to live with the rest of his life. The gravity of the situation is not lost on anyone here and we understand and respect the loss of life.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Henry Ruggs III fatal crash in Las Vegas: What we know