LAS VEGAS, NEVADA: Former NFL player Henry Ruggs III has been sentenced to three to 10 years in prison for his role in a fiery DUI crash that resulted in the death of Tina Tintor.
Ruggs, 24, was initially facing more than 50 years in prison but in May, he reached a deal with prosecutors and agreed to plead guilty to one felony count of DUI and one misdemeanor count of vehicular manslaughter in exchange for a prison sentence that would not exceed three-to-10 years.
During his sentencing hearing on Wednesday, August 9, the former receiver apologized to the family of Tinter, who was killed in the crash along with her dog Max.
"To the parents and family of Ms Tintor, I sincerely apologize for the pain and suffering my actions the morning of Nov. 2, 2021, have caused you, your family, and those who knew Ms Tina and Max," he said in the courtroom, according to TMZ.
Who was Tina Tintor?
Tintor, 23, was a Serbian immigrant, who came to the US with her brother, Djordje, and mother, Biljana, at the age of three. Her family reportedly said that she graduated from high school in Las Vegas.
Tintor worked from home, answering calls for an insurance company but dreamed of building a career in computer science. She was also "on the verge" of getting a US citizenship.
Djordje had revealed that before her death, she had spent the evening taking Max out for a walk at a local dog park. The two were on their way home from the park when the crash occurred. He also told the Daily Mail that Tintor was hanging out with a friend "until around 12 and then went out to the park."
How did Tina Tintor die?
During the trial, prosecutors noted that Ruggs had been driving at almost 156 mph when he crashed his Chevrolet Corvette into her Toyota Rav-4 at 3.39 am on November 2, 2021. The impact was such that both vehicles were thrown 500ft down the road. Tintor and Max burnt to death after their car burst into flames as eyewitnesses tried their best to rescue the two despite the fire.
Ruggs' girlfriend, Je'nai Kilgo-Washington, was also injured in the fatal crash. Blood samples taken after the crash showed that his blood-alcohol level was 0.16%, twice the legal limit in Nevada. Authorities also revealed that hours before the crash, Ruggs had been partying with his friends and family at a sports entertainment site and golfing venue, where he consumed "up to 18 shots" of alcohol.
Is Henry Ruggs eligible for parol?
In days following the collision, Ruggs was charged with two felonies and was released from the Las Vegas Raiders. He was reportedly the first-round Draft pick for the team in 2020, from Alabama.
After leaving the hospital, Ruggs posted $150,000 bail to be freed from jail and remained on house arrest for 18 months with strict conditions including alcohol checks. Now, he could be eligible for parole in three years.
Following the hearing, Farhan Naqvi, an attorney who represented Tintor’s family, reacted to the court’s order, saying, “The sentence isn’t going to bring Tina back. What we’re hoping for, more than anything, is that other deaths can be prevented by driving under the influence and reckless driving. It ruins lives. It destroys families,” according to Associate Press.
