Former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III was sentenced to three to 10 years in prison on Wednesday for a fatal 2021 crash, in which he was found to be driving at high speeds while intoxicated.
Ruggs pleaded guilty in May to a felony count of DUI resulting in death and misdemeanor manslaughter in the Las Vegas crash.
Tina Tintor, 23, was killed after Ruggs — driving his Corvette at 156 mph while drunk — crashed into her Toyota RAV4 on Nov. 2, 2021, in the early hours of the morning.
She died of thermal injuries after the car caught fire, the medical examiner’s office said at the time. Her dog was also killed in the crash.
In a statement, Ruggs’ attorneys said the former NFL player was prepared to serve his time and “return to making positive contributions to his community.”
“Mr. Ruggs has accepted responsibility for his actions, entered a guilty plea, and now been sentenced by the court,” the statement said. “In court today Mr. Ruggs expressed his sincere sadness for the loss of Ms. Tintor and the impact that it has had on her loved ones. ”
Ruggs entered into a plea agreement with the Clark County District Attorney’s Office to avoid a trial and is eligible for parole after three years, according to NBC affiliate KSNV.
Nov. 5, 202101:58
Ruggs’ attorneys fought to prevent some evidence from being introduced in the case, including that Ruggs had a blood-alcohol level of 0.16 percent at the time of the crash — twice the legal limit in Nevada. Ultimately, the attorneys lost their objections and Ruggs eventually agreed to the deal.
Tintor’s older brother, Djordje Tintor, said his family was devastated following her tragic death. She had started a work-from-home customer service job for an insurance company with hopes for a career in computer programing, her brother said.
A Serbian immigrant, Tintor had graduated from a Las Vegas high school and was close to obtaining her U.S. citizenship.
Ruggs was drafted into the NFL by the Raiders in 2020 from the University of Alabama and was dropped just hours after the fatal crash occurred.
The Associated Press contributed.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
