Prosecutors in Las Vegas say Henry Ruggs III was driving at a speed of more than 150 mph before he rear-ended another car — killing the woman inside. The woman killed was identified as Tina O. Tintor, 23, of Las Vegas, according to police. Her dog was also killed.
Prosecutors say Ruggs, who up until Tuesday was a wide receiver for the Las Vegas Raiders, was driving 156 mph and with a blood-alcohol content twice Nevada's legal limit. Police said that Ruggs showed "signs of impairment" at the scene.
According to court records reviewed by NPR, Ruggs, 22, is facing charges of driving under the influence, causing death or a substantial bodily injury and reckless driving — both felonies.
The Raiders released Ruggs following news of the crash and just hours before he was set to face his first court appearance.
"We are devastated by the loss of life and our thoughts and prayers go out to the victim's family," the Las Vegas Raiders said in a statement.
On Tuesday at 3:39 a.m. local time, the police department responded to reports of a crash involving a Chevrolet Corvette and a Toyota Rav4. The Toyota, later identified as Tintor's car, was on fire when officers arrived. Inside, they found Tintor dead.
Police say the preliminary investigation into the crash indicated Ruggs' Corvette slammed into the rear of Tintor's car. Ruggs remained at the scene and was later taken to a nearby hospital for "non-life threatening injuries."
According to reports, Ruggs' girlfriend, Kiara Je'nai Kilgo-Washington, was traveling with him at the time of the crash and was also injured. Prosecutors said Wednesday she was undergoing surgery for a serious arm injury.
Images at his court appearance show Ruggs in a wheelchair with his neck in a foam brace and cuts on his face.
The judge set bail at $150,000, which was paid. By Wednesday night, Ruggs was no longer listed as being in custody at Clark County Detention Center.
As a condition of his bail, according to a court record, Ruggs will be required to abstain from drugs and alcohol and hand over his passport. He's also prohibited from driving.
Ruggs was was picked 12th overall in the 2020 draft as the Raiders' top pick and is known for his speed and athleticism.
News of Ruggs' crash and subsequent release from the Raiders comes weeks after the resignation of head coach Jon Gruden.
Gruden resigned last month after emails emerged in which he used misogynistic, homophobic and racist language in messages to Bruce Allen, then the president of the Washington Football Team, and other men. At the time, Gruden was working as an on-air analyst for ESPN.
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