While former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III awaits formal charges on Wednesday, the family of the woman who died in the traffic accident that preceded his arrest has released a statement.
Tina Tintor, a 23-year-old Las Vegas resident who worked at Target, died with her dog in her Toyota Rav4 after it was struck by a Corvette that law-enforcement authorities say was driven by Ruggs.
MORE:
· KAREEM JACKSON LEARNED FROM HIS DUI, WISHES OTHERS WOULD, TOO
· HENRY RUGGS III’S BROTHER OFFERS SUPPORT: ‘THEY DON’T MENTION THE GOOD YOU HAVE DONE’
· RAIDERS MOVING ON WITHOUT HENRY RUGGS III
· TINA TINTOR HEARD SCREAMING IN FIERY VEHICLE AFTER CRASH
· WHAT NICK SABAN SAID ABOUT FATAL WRECK
· TUA TAGOVAILOA, JALEN HURTS REACT TO DEADLY CRASH
· POLICE REPORT: HENRY RUGGS III’S CAR TRAVELING 156 MPH
Naqvi Injury Law released a statement “on behalf of the Tintor family” that read: “Tina’s tragic loss has devastated her family beyond a grief they could ever comprehend. Family was everything to Tina, and she was the light of her parents’ life. Tina lived in Las Vegas since she was a baby. She loved her 3-year-old golden retriever, Max, who passed alongside her Tuesday morning. The Tintor family appreciates privacy as they mourn. May Tina rest in peace. No further statements will be made from the family at this time.”
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department used data from the Corvette’s airbag control module to determine the car was traveling at 156 mph 2.5 seconds before impact and 127 mph at the time of the crash on South Rainbow Boulevard in Las Vegas at 3:39 a.m. Tuesday.
According to the arrest report, Ruggs showed a blood-alcohol content of 0.161 percent, twice the legal limit in Nevada, in a test taken within two hours of the wreck, which turned Tintor’s car into a fireball.
After his release from University Medical Center of Southern Nevada on Tuesday, Ruggs was booked into Clark County Detention Center on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol resulting in death or substantial bodily injury and reckless driving resulting in death or substantial bodily injury.
On Wednesday, Justice of the Peace Joe Bonaventure set Ruggs’ bail at $150,000 after the prosecution asked for it to be set at $1 million. Ruggs posted bail and was released into an electronic-monitoring program.
After the bail hearing, Steve Wolfson, the Clark County district attorney, said his office was considering charging Ruggs with two counts of driving under the influence of alcohol resulting in death or substantial bodily injury as well as reckless driving resulting in death or substantial bodily injury. Wolfson said a loaded gun found in the Corvette also might result in a charge.
The Raiders waived Ruggs on Tuesday night. He became an NFL free agent on Thursday afternoon when no other team claimed his contract. Ruggs was in his second season with Las Vegas, which obtained him with the 12th selection in the 2020 NFL Draft.
A prep star at Lee High School in Montgomery, Ruggs caught 40 passes for 746 yards and seven touchdowns in 2019 for Alabama, then ran the 40-yard dash in 4.27 seconds at the NFL Scouting Combine, the fastest time at the 2020 event.
In 20 NFL games, Ruggs had 50 receptions for 921 yards and four touchdowns, 12 rushing attempts for 65 yards and 11 kickoff returns for 211 yards.
FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.
