FORMER Las Vegas Raiders star Henry Ruggs’s prison sentence could be doubled after prosecutors have added charges against him following the horror car crash that killed Tina Tintor, 23.
Ruggs was initially charged with two felony charges of DUI and reckless driving resulting in death.
But now Clark Country prosecutors intend to also charge him with DUI and reckless driving resulting in substantial bodily harm for injuries that his girlfriend Rudy Washington suffered during the crash, as reported by Clutch Points.
Additionally, prosecutors also aim to charge Ruggs with a misdemeanor for a loaded gun that was allegedly found in his car.
Ruggs could face up to 46 years in prison if convicted of all the charges.
Meanwhile, a new video surfaced of Henry Ruggs’ corvette flying down the road mere seconds before the car fatal crash.
Ruggs’ car was clocked at 156mph, the precise speed he was going before he slowed to 127mph and slammed into Tintor’s vehicle.
In a second video released by TMZ Sports, what appears to be Tina Tintor’s car drives into the frame is the same make and model, and is positioned in the same space police say she was when the crash occurred.
Tina Tintor’s childhood friend shared that the 23-year-old was hoping to go into the computer science programming field before she was tragically killed this week.
Bojana Filipovic shared with 8 News Now that Tintor was from Serbia, and immigrated to the US when she was about five years old.
Filipovic also said that Tintor loved animals, and revealed that her friend hoped to return go to college to pursue a career in the computer science programming field.
Tintor and her dog’s lives were tragically cut short Tuesday, when her car became engulfed in flames, after being smashed into by former NFL star Henry Ruggs’s speeding Chevrolet Corvette.
Ruggs, 22, appeared in court Wednesday, where he was accused of driving 156 mph while intoxicated and had a loaded illegal firearm at the time of the crash, which occurred in the central Las Vegas area at around 3am on Tuesday.
He is scheduled to return to court on November 10.
Read our Henry Ruggs live blog for the latest news and updates…
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TUA TAGOVAILOA ON RUGGS’ DUI CRASH
Henry Ruggs’ former NFL teammate Tua Tagovoiloa spoke about Ruggs’ arrest on Wedesday.
“You’d never think that this guy could hurt a soul,” he said, according to TMZ.
“That’s tough,” Tua added as he seemed to tear up. “My heart goes out to the families affected by what happened, the choices and decisions.
“My heart goes out to Henry, too, and his family. Obviously, it wasn’t the right choice or decision he made at that time. I know he’d wish he could have it back.
“When I heard the news, that was tough for me to hear, just knowing the kind of person that Henry is … I’m still kind of in disbelief.”
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OLD VIDEO OF RUGGS SPEEDING DOWN THE STREET RESURFACES
Footage also emerged on Thursday which appeared to show Ruggs’ girlfriend telling him to “slow down” as he raced down a street in September last year.
Rudy Washington, 22, is said to have shared the clip to her YouTube in which she laughs as her boyfriend revs the engine of his car.
The clip – obtained by The Review-Journal and called “Wild Out Wednesdays” – is reported to have been taken in September 2020.
It has since been removed from YouTube, according to the paper.
Washington appears to tell the now released Las Vegas Raiders’ star: “Just don’t do it no more. What you about to do?”
Ruggs tells Washington: “You look scared.”
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TINA HAD PLANNED TO RETURN TO COLLEGE STUDIES
Filipovic said that 23-year-old Tina wanted to continue college after taking a break due to personal problems and wanted to “dive back into computer science and programming.”
“Whatever life threw at her, she would always try and fix it. We didn’t really have the best role models growing up and it was hard to fit in, but she was positive and had charismatic charm.
“No matter how many times she wanted to leave the earth, she was always hanging on and wanted the best,” Filipovic added.
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TINA’S BEST FRIEND SAYS SHE ‘WAS A GREAT DRIVER’
Bojana Filipovic, the victim’s best friend, said the two were hanging out and walking Tintor’s dog at a park close to her home on the day of the deadly crash.
“She was beautiful, smart, intuitive, she always knew right from wrong. She would always slap some sense into me,” Filipovic exclusively told The Sun.
“She was also a great driver. She would never let me speed.”
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TINA TINTOR’S MOTHER RECOGNIZED CAR ON NEWS REPORTS
Tintor’s mom told friends she has recognized her daughter’s burning car on TV news reports.
“Hey this could be her car, I checked the news,” Tina mother told her daughter’s best friend Bojana Filipovic, who recalled the conversation in an interview with The Sun.
Tina’s boyfriend has been left “crushed” by her loss, Filipovic said.
On the night that Tintor would not make it home alive, she and Filipovic had been spending time together at a local park before bidding goodnight.
“I left her at 3.30 and she got into the crash 15 minutes later,” the mourning pal recalled. “We were just hanging out at the park and then going home.”
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WITNESS DESCRIBES HORROR AT CRASH SITE
Security camera footage was taken from the Vizcaya Apartments, where a security guard, Alexander Hart, rushed from the scene.
Hart told police how he had been standing outside of a condominium where he works as a security guard when he saw the crash.
When he arrived, he heard screams coming from the Toyota.
Tina was still alive, he told the police, he couldn’t pull her out because she was pinned inside the SUV.
The Toyota “was soon overcome with smoke and heat from flames,” and Hart had to back away, according to a police report.
Tintor was pronounced dead at the scene.
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RUGGS WAS ALLEGEDLY DRIVING 156 MILES PER HOUR
Shocking video appears to show Henry Ruggs speeding just moments before crashing into victim Tina Tintor’s car while allegedly twice the alcohol limit.
Security footage taken near the scene of Tuesday morning’s fatal smash shows a vehicle traveling at high speed, flying past other drivers on the road.
Prosecutors say that Ruggs III, 22, was twice the legal alcohol limit and was driving at 156 miles per hour when he reportedly attempted to slow down.
He skidded 570 feet before slamming Tintor’s Toyota Rav 4, they added.
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WHAT WAS RUGGS’S BLOOD ALCOHOL CONTENT?
Ruggs refused a breathalyzer test at the scene, police said, but later blood tests were taken at the hospital allegedly showed his intoxication levels of 0.161, more than double Nevada’s legal blood alcohol content.
In court, prosecutors alleged the star was found to be illegally possessing a firearm.
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HENRY RUGGS APPEARED BEFORE A JUDGE
Ruggs appeared in a neck brace in court Wednesday where he was initially arraigned for driving under the influence of alcohol resulting in death and reckless driving.
Judge Joe Bonaventure set Ruggs’ bail at $150,000 with the highest level of electronic monitoring.
State prosecutors had sought a $1 million bond.
The judge noted that in his career ruling on the bench, he couldn’t recall a car reaching such a high rate of speed.
Ruggs’s attorneys David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld released a statement shortly after the crash asking “everyone to reserve judgment until all the facts are gathered.”
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LAW FIRM RELEASES STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF TINA TINTOR’S FAMILY
Naqvi Injury Law released a statement on behalf of Tina’s devastated family.
“Tina’s tragic loss has devastated her family beyond a grief they could ever comprehend,” they said.
“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 Tinto family appreciates privacy as they mourn. May Tina rest in peace.”
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VIGIL HELD FOR TINA TINTOR
A vigil was held at the intersection at Rainbow Boulevard and Spring Valley Parkway near the Sunset Strip in honor of Tina.
The 23-year-old burned to death along with her golden retriever Max in the flaming wreckage of her SUV after an allegedly drunk Ruggs slammed his speeding Corvette sports car into her Toyota Rav 4 early Tuesday morning.
Tearful mourners attending the vigil lit candles and left multiple stuffed animals and flowers in tribute to her.
Attendees could be seen holding candles as the sound of Las Vegas traffic was heard whizzing by.
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VICTIM’S BROTHER: TINA ‘ALWAYS PUT EVERYONE BEFORE HERSELF’
The brother of Henry Ruggs crash victim Tina Tintor has set up a GoFundMe page and thanked supporters for the “outpouring of love” for her.
Tina’s brother Djordje Tintor has now started a GoFundMe page for Tina, which has so far raised $23,000.
Heartbroken Djordje thanked supporters for the “outpouring of love and support” the family have received.
In an emotional tribute, he said “Those who knew Tina know that she was a beautiful loving soul that always put everyone before herself.
“Whether she knew you or not, Tina was the type of person that would give you the food off of her plate to make sure you weren’t hungry.
“Tina was the shoulder to cry on, the ear that made you felt heard, and the friendly smile you needed when you made a bad joke.
“From our hearts to yours, we thank you for thinking of Tina and Max, and we really appreciate your support.”
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WHEN DOES HENRY RUGGS RETURN TO COURT?
The 22-year-old has been charged with two felony counts, DUI, and reckless driving, which could earn him up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
He was booked into the Clark County Jail in Las Vegas.
Ruggs III appeared before a local judge on November 3, 2021. A judge set his bail at $150,000. He will also have to abstain from alcohol and other controlled substances. He was ordered to surrender his passport and he cannot drive.
He is slated to return to court on November 10.
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‘THIS CAPTION DIDN’T AGE WELL,’ SAY INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS
Just a few days before the tragic crash, on October 25, Ruggs posted on Instagram an image of himself on the field with the caption “Can’t be flagged down I’m the move”.
People have since returned to the post to leave comments in relation to the incident, with one commenting: “this caption didn’t age well”.
A second user said: “But you got flagged for DUI manslaughter.”
“Helmets to handcuffs”, said another.
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HENRY RUGGS’ BACKGROUND
Before his arrival to the league, Ruggs was a superstar for the Alabama Crimson Tide, winning a national championship in 2017.
Ruggs was having a breakout year for the Raiders in his second season, recording 24 receptions, 469 yards, and two touchdowns this season.
The Raiders last played on October 24, a 33-22 victory over the visiting Philadelphia Eagles.
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RELEASED FROM THE RAIDERS: TEAM SHARES NEWS ON TWITTER
The Raiders announced they were releasing Ruggs from the team in a statement on Twitter that said, “The Las Vegas Raiders have released WR Henry Ruggs III.”
Ruggs was supposed to be a cornerstone for the Raiders.
He was picked 12th overall in the 2020 draft after three years at Alabama, including helping the Crimson Tide win the NCAA championship as a freshman in 2017.
He was emerging as a star this season with 24 catches for a team-high 469 yards and two touchdowns.
As a rookie in 2020, he had 26 catches for 452 yards and two touchdowns.
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RUGGS’ GIRLFRIEND SURVIVED THE CRASH
Rudy Washington, with whom Ruggs has a young daughter, suffered “serious” injuries and was rushed to hospital.
The nature of her injuries are currently unclear but police described them as non-life-threatening.
Ruggs, meanwhile, suffered minor injuries and was released from the hospital on Tuesday. Police say he showed “signs of impairment” at the scene.
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RUGGS MERCHANDISE REMOVED FROM RAIDERS STADIUM
Football fans have reported online that Henry Ruggs merchandise has been removed from the Raiders stadium.
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CHILDHOOD BEST FRIEND DIED IN A CAR CRASH
Five years earlier, in March 2016, Ruggs lost his childhood best friend, Rod Scott, in a car accident while en route to attend a state playoff basketball game in Birmingham, Alabama.
The pair had been due to travel to the game together, but Ruggs had fallen ill with the flu and decided not to attend.
Scott, 17, was one of three unrestrained passengers ejected from a car that had rolled over along a rain-covered Interstate 65.
The teen was airlifted to an area hospital with serious internal injuries, including a swollen brain and two collapsed lungs.
Despite multiple surgeries to save his life, Scott was pronounced dead the next day.
In tribute to his best friend, whom he first met in elementary school, Ruggs raises a three-finger salute to Scott every time he scores a touchdown.
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WHAT KIND OF DOG DID TINA HAVE?
Tina Tintor’s dog, who also died in the crash, was a golden retriever named Maxi.
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THE ‘THREE-FINGER SALUTE’
Ruggs from Alabama is known for “religiously” giving a three-finger salute to his late friend Roderic Scott after every touchdown, according to the Montgomery Advertiser.
Scott lost his life in a car accident at the age of 17.
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WITNESS SAYS ‘HE TRIED EVERYTHING HE COULD’ TO SAVE VICTIM
While the tragic encounter lasted less than 10 minutes, witness Tony Rodriguez said it “felt like a lifetime.”
Speaking to Tintor’s family, he said: “I’m sorry. I tried everything I could. My friend as well. I’m sorry.”
“I haven’t slept since the accident. It’s horrific. It’s sad that somebody could be going that fast and cause that accident like that. I’m sorry.”
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VICTIM WAS ‘JUST ABOUT TO GER HER CITIZENSHIP’
Tina Tintor’s best friend, Bojana Filipovic, had been with her just hours before the fatal crash.
The pair had taken Maxi for a late-night walk, as they often do, she said.
“We always go to parks and walk her dogs and just hang out and have a good time,” Filipovic said.
“And just think about our future. We were just talking about going to Serbia together. She was just about to get her citizenship and everything was going swell.”
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HENRY RUGGS PLAYING GOLF
A video of Henry Ruggs playing golf reportedly the night of the crash was shared on Twitter.
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RUGGS ALLEGEDLY YELLED AT HOSPITAL STAFF, CONTINUED
The report by police further alleges that Ruggs tried to tear the IVs out of his arm.
When hospital staff reportedly told Ruggs to stop, he yelled “Get me the **** out of here,” the report said.
Police said the former NFL star continued to yell from his bed and he refused to listen to hospital staff.