On Wednesday, former Las Vegas Raiders star Henry Ruggs was formally charged in connection to the car crash that killed a woman on November 2.
Ruggs, who did not appear in court, was hit with a second felony DUI and reckless driving charges. In addition to the driving charges, he was charged with misdemeanor possession of a firearm while intoxicated.
“The evidence supports a second felony DUI charge,” Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said to reporters after the hearing. “We believe that Mr. Ruggs’ girlfriend was substantially injured, and under Nevada law, if one is substantially injured in a DUI collision as a result of the defendant’s actions, we can file a second charge.”
Wolfson said Ruggs is facing “two years in prison up to as much as somewhere in the 50 range” if he’s found guilty. If convicted, he would not be eligible for probation. He would serve his time in prison.
Rugg’s attorneys asked Judge Suzan Baucum to deny a request by prosecutors to obtain medical records related to the case. The judge granted the request until the defense had an opportunity to argue against their release on December 8.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for December 16. At that time, it will be determined whether or not there is enough evidence to proceed to a trial.
The former wide receiver is accused of crashing a Corvette Stingray into Tina Tintor’s Toyota Rav4 at 127 mph. Tintor, 23, and her dog died in the fiery wreck. The former football star was reportedly traveling at speeds of up to 156 mph. Rugg’s blood-alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit when his blood was taken about two hours after the accident.
