LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 22: Former Las Vegas Raiders player Henry Ruggs III appears in court at … More
During a Tuesday night public speaking event for former and current prisoners held by a Las Vegas nonprofit called Hope for Prisoners, former NFL receiver Henry Ruggs issued a public apology to the family of Tina Tintor for his drunken driving accident four years ago that took the life of the 23-year-old Tintor and her dog Max.
“I wish I could turn back the hands of time,” Ruggs said in a video shared by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “I would love for them to meet the real Henry Ruggs and not the one that was escaping from something. I sincerely apologize not only for being a part of that situation, but the fact that my face was always in the news so they have to constantly be reminded of the situation.”
Due to receiving a special release, Ruggs was given the chance to speak to the public for the first time since his 2023 court sentencing.
In November of 2021, authorities reported that Ruggs was driving his Corvette at the top speed of 156 miles per hour around 3:40 a.m. before crashing into the victim’s SUV. The incident left Tintor and her dog trapped inside the burning vehicle which led to their eventual deaths.
While testing his blood-alcohol level at the scene, it was revealed that Ruggs’ level was at a 0.16 which was more than twice the Nevada legal limit.
Ruggs pleaded guilty to one count of DUI resulting in death and one misdemeanor count of vehicular manslaughter in May 2023 following the accident. He was sentenced three to 10 years by the Clark County District Court with the possibility of parole on August 7, 2026.
Ruggs admitted to the public that time locked away has been a “humbling” experience and expressed an added motivation to resume life “outside these walls”. As of last year, the former NFL receiver has been residing in a transitional housing unit less than a mile away from the Raiders’ home stadium Allegiant Stadium.
While the parents of Tintor didn’t directly respond to Ruggs’ recent apology, Tintor’s uncle Pedja Komazec spoke on their behalf through a text message between he and the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
“I have a lot of things to say, but just to say a couple words is not enough,” Komazec said in a text Tuesday night,” Komazec said to the Review-Journal.
Prior to his crime, Ruggs was a first-round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Las Vegas Raiders after a successful three-year stint with the Alabama Crimson Tide. In 20 career games, he accumulated 921 receiving yards and four touchdown receptions.
