Former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver, Henry Ruggs III, admitted guilt in causing a deadly accident in 2021 that took the lives of 23-year-old Tina Tintor and her dog, Max.
Ruggs was driving under the influence and driving at a shocking speed of 156 mph when he collided with Tintor’s Rav4. His girlfriend, Je’nai Kilgo-Washington, was a passenger in the vehicle during the collision.
As part of the plea deal, Ruggs could face a prison term of three to 10 years, with his sentencing set for August 9. Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson stated that the plea agreement achieved three essential objectives for his office, including eliminating the possibility of Ruggs appealing his conviction and sentence.
Ruggs’ attorneys, David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld, explained that the plea bargain was intended to quicken the healing process for Tintor’s family, even though Ruggs initially faced up to 50 years in prison. Ruggs will continue to be under house arrest, with alcohol and location monitoring devices, until his sentencing.
Ruggs’ attorneys argued that there was insufficient probable cause for the judge to accept the blood-alcohol test results (obtained at the hospital) due to the absence of a field sobriety test at the crash site. This made it challenging to prove Ruggs was under the influence at the exact time of the crash. Consequently, other charges against Ruggs, including felony reckless driving, DUI causing substantial injury to Kilgo-Washington, and misdemeanor gun possession, were dropped under the plea agreement.
Tintor’s family issued a statement saying that no punishment could bring back Tina and Max, but they hope that the public learns from this avoidable tragedy to prevent other families from experiencing similar anguish.