The case of Henry Ruggs III’s fatal car accident in Las Vegas has new developments, as a judge made a ruling this week on Tuesday. The blood-alcohol test results from the former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver can now be used as evidence in his DUI crash case.
Although police did not conduct a field sobriety test at the site of the crash — a police report stated that Ruggs refused — authorities said that Ruggs’ blood alcohol content was measured two hours after the crash and was 0.16 percent, twice the legal driving limit in Nevada.
On Nov. 2, then-Raiders WR Henry Ruggs III was in a crash that killed Tina Tintor, 23, and her dog, Max. Authorities say Ruggs was drunk and driving 156 mph.
This is the story of Tintor's family searching for answers as Ruggs' future is in limbo.(1/14) via @MerrillLiz and me. pic.twitter.com/GJx8qQ7CEj
— Anthony Olivieri (@AntOlivieri) July 14, 2022
The development is significant in proving the authorities’ assertion that the 23-year-old allegedly drove 156 mph in his Corvette Stingray seconds before the crash in November 2021 that left Tina Tintor dead. Ruggs and his female passenger, Kiara Je’nai Kilgo-Washington, were injured but alive.
“You can’t even imagine the pain,” Tintor’s uncle Pedja Komazec said of his niece’s death to ESPN. “You don’t even know how you feel anymore. You don’t even have feelings.”
Ruggs’ lawyers argued that blood alcohol test results should not be allowed as evidence because there was no probable cause to believe Ruggs was driving under the influence. However, Las Vegas Judge Ann Zimmerman opposed, denying the defense’s motion to exclude the blood test.
Henry Ruggs appears in court for the first time since November. The judge will allow his blood test as evidence in the deadly crash that killed Tina Tintor and her dog. Arrest reports say Ruggs was driving 156 mph seconds before the crash. pic.twitter.com/jNWLvbqLxn
— Victoria Saha (@VictoriaSaha) July 12, 2022
The now-admissible test is a massive blow to Ruggs’ case.
After the crash, Ruggs was taken to University Medical Center, and according to a police report, an officer observed Ruggs’ delivering a slurred speech. Additionally, from evidence collected at the scene and Ruggs’ condition and behavior at the hospital, police inferred he was under the influence of alcohol.
The police report cites tests by hospital staff before police arrived. Included in the report was that Ruggs hadn’t suffered any head trauma. However, Ruggs reportedly became enraged when he was at the hospital, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police. He even attempted to take the IVs out of his arm and the monitor from his finger while screaming at the staff.
“Get me the f**k out of here,” he reportedly yelled.
Judge rejects the argument that police lacked probable cause to seek a court order allowing blood test of former #Raiders Henry Ruggs after a fatal car crash. #RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/PWcAG4QpKT
— NFL Rumors (@nflrums) July 12, 2022
One day after the crash, Ruggs was released from the hospital and was booked into the Clark County Detention Center and police custody on a $150,000 bond. The Las Vegas Raiders also released him, and he was charged with many felonies, including driving under the influence resulting in death and reckless driving.
Eventually, Ruggs was placed on house arrest, with alcohol and location electronic monitoring. The Clark County court reportedly granted Ruggs permission to leave home confinement twice a week to work out for three hours a day. He went to a training center in the Summerlin section near Red Rock Canyon in a gym that is a premier sports facility that caters to athletes on the pro level.
Prosecutors assert that the 23-year-old faces a minimum of two years but could be sentenced to 50 years in prison if convicted of all charges in the case. A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for Sept. 7, with Ruggs’ freedom and answers for a family looming in the distance.
