Henry Ruggs III has been incarcerated since 2023 for his role in a Las Vegas crash that killed 23-year-old Tina Tintor and her dog. Now, he has requested to be paroled.
Videos by FanBuzz
Ruggs, a former first-round NFL Draft pick, appeared before the Nevada Board of Parole Commissioners on Monday via Zoom. He and his supporters addressed the parole board so that they could decide whether to grant him an early release.
Clark County District Court judge Jennifer Schwartz sentenced Ruggs to three to 10 years in prison after he pleaded guilty on one count of DUI resulting in death and one count of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter.
The crash occurred in November 2021. Ruggs was traveling at an estimated 156 mph in his Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. He collided with Tintor's Toyota RAV4 as she traveled 43 mph.
This collision propelled the SUV 571 feet. It caught on fire as both Tintor and her dog, Max, died. The coroner said Tintor died from thermal injuries.
Ruggs refused a field sobriety test after the crash, but a blood draw two hours later revealed his blood-alcohol content to be 0.161, twice the legal limit in Nevada.
According to ABC News, police said that Ruggs and three other people were at the Topgolf location near the Las Vegas Strip in the hours before the crash. The itemized receipt listed 20 drinks, most of which contained tequila.
The Raiders cut Ruggs the day after the crash. He later pleaded guilty and was placed under house arrest before the sentencing in August 203.
"I take full responsibility for my actions that led to Ms. Tintor's death and her dog Max," Ruggs said at the hearing, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The outlet reported that Ruggs also said that he prays for Tintor's family daily and that he wants to be able to care for his fiancee and daughter.
If released, Ruggs would be eligible for reinstatement. However, the NFL told Sports Illustrated earlier in the year that they would review his case and decide whether to suspend him for his actions.
