The Las Vegas Raiders dropped wide receiver Henry J. Ruggs III from the team after he was reportedly driving while intoxicated and caused a horrific crash that killed a motorist.
According to Las Vegas and Clark County law enforcement officials, Ruggs was driving 156 mph on a city street while under the influence when he initiated a fiery pre-dawn crash on Nov. 2, 2021. Ruggs’ Chevrolet Corvette reportedly rammed into the back of a Toyota Rav4, setting the vehicle on fire and killing an unidentified female driver and her dog.
Ruggs and an unidentified female passenger sustained significant but not life-threatening injuries. The female remains hospitalized.
Ruggs was released from a hospital and sent to a Las Vegas jail on Wednesday, just before making his initial court appearance on felony charges related to the deadly crash.
According to court records, the Clark County district attorney has charged Ruggs with reckless driving and driving under the influence of alcohol resulting in death.
What’s even more problematic for Ruggs is the fact the state of Nevada does not allow for probation when the suspect is convicted of a DUI that results in death. Ruggs is facing two to 20 years in state prison for the fatal DUI crash, and one to six years in prison on the charge of reckless driving. Probation is an option on the latter charge.
Both the Raiders and the NFL headquarters released statements offering condolences to the family of the woman killed in the crash.
The most tragic of this is the enormous potential Ruggs possessed. Picked No. 12 in the 202o NFL draft, he was a superstar in the making. His 19.5 yards per catch was already second in the NFL.
