LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Henry Ruggs III appeared in a Las Vegas courtroom Wednesday morning after a deadly crash occurred in west Las Vegas on Tuesday.
Ruggs was reportedly speeding before the crash and police suspected him of driving under the influence.
Wednesday, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department reported Ruggs was traveling 156 mph before Tuesday's crash on Rainbow Boulevard, according to his arrest report. Ruggs' car had slowed to 127 mph at the time of the crash.
Police also report the driver of the vehicle that Ruggs collided into was 23-year-old Tina Tintor.
Witnesses reportedly tried to help Tintor out of the car but she was pinned and later died along with her dog as a result of the crash and subsequent fire, as the vehicle caught fire after the impact.
The Clark County Detention Center had Ruggs in custody as of Wednesday morning ahead of his initial court appearance before he appeared.
Henry Ruggs III appeared in court this morning. LVMPD reported Ruggs was traveling 156 mph before Tuesday's crash where a 23-year-old woman was killed. Ruggs is facing DUI causing death and reckless driving charges. @KTNV pic.twitter.com/QEC2M9MyUm
— Alyssa Bethencourt (@a_bethencourttv) November 3, 2021
Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson also spoke to the media after Ruggs' scheduled appearance:
Wolfson said Ruggs' blood alcohol content was .16, twice Nevada's legal limit of .08.
The 22-year-old was booked into the detention center Tuesday after the collision and facing DUI causing death and reckless driving charges.
Ruggs posted bail Wednesday afternoon that was listed at $150,000, according to court records.
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Personal injury attorney Matt Hoffmann, co-owner of Battle Born Injury Lawyers, says in his opinion there was little doubt investigators had cause to arrest Ruggs and charge him with DUI resulting in death.
Ruggs was an up-and-coming wide receiver for the Las Vegas Raiders. However, the team announced it waived him Tuesday night after the crash.
Hoffman says Ruggs could face decades in prison, fines, and the loss of his driver's license in the criminal case, but the potential civil suits from the surviving passenger and the victim's family could bankrupt the young football star before his career really begins.
"I think he's going to lose everything he has," Hoffman said. "I think he's going to lose his career. I think he's going to spend a minimum of ten years in prison, and financially, between the lawsuits and paying his criminal attorneys, I think he's going to lose everything he has."
Hoffman also stressed that everyone deserves due process before people make their final judgments so the legal process could take a very long time unless Ruggs pleads guilty.
