Promising former Las Vegas Raiders player Henry Ruggs III, who caused a fatal crash while drunk in 2021, has accepted a plea deal.
Ruggs entered a guilty plea to felony DUI causing death on Tuesday when he appeared before Justice of the Peace Harmony Letizia. The deal will bypass a drawn-out trial that could have resulted in him going to prison for over 50 years. On November 2nd, 2021, Ruggs, now 24, was behind the wheel of a Chevrolet Corvette in Nevada when he accelerated to 156 mph in a 45 mph speed limit area. He collided with a Toyota Rav 4 driven by 23-year-old Tina Tintor. She was killed along with her pet dog Max. Detectives confirmed that Ruggs’ blood alcohol level was 0.16%, twice the legal limit in the state. The first-round draft pick was released by the Raiders shortly after.
Under the plea agreement, Ruggs will spend three to ten years in state prison. The deal also guarantees that his many other charges related to the crash are dismissed. This includes driving under the influence and causing substantial injury to his girlfriend and child’s mother, Je’nai Kilgo-Washington. She was in the Corvette at the time and sustained a leg and arm injury, requiring surgery.
Ruggs will no longer be required to answer for a misdemeanor gun charge, which was tacked on after police located a loaded gun in the mangled sports car. After being released from the hospital, Ruggs bonded out of jail and remained on house arrest. He will remain in home confinement until his sentencing.
Ruggs will formally enter his plea on May 10th, with sentencing taking place during a separate hearing.
