Henry Ruggs III will be charged with DUI resulting in death and reckless driving resulting in death or serious bodily harm after being involved in the fatal car accident Tuesday in Las Vegas around 3:40 a.m., according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and court records obtained by The Athletic. The Raiders announced they had released the receiver late Tuesday night. If Ruggs is convicted, the first charge has a sentence ranging from two to 20 years while the second charge ranges from one to six years, per The Athletic.
Upon arriving at the scene, fire department personnel discovered a deceased victim, a 23-year-old woman, inside the car that was not being driven by Ruggs. Ruggs and his girlfriend, Kiara Kilgo-Washington, were transported to the University Medical Center for "serious," injuries. In the police statement, Ruggs was said to have non-life-threatening injuries, and has since been released from the hospital.
The deceased victim was inside a Toyota Rav4, while Ruggs was driving a Chevrolet Corvette. Preliminary investigation revealed that the front of the Chevrolet collided with the rear of the Toyota. Ruggs showed signs of impairment, according to Las Vegas police. The collision took place near the intersection of South Rainbow Boulevard and South Spring Valley Parkway. The investigation is ongoing.
Prosecutor Eric Bauman said Wednesday that Ruggs was traveling at 156 miles per hour about two seconds before the fatal crash, with a blood alcohol level more than twice the legal limit. A loaded gun was also found in Ruggs' car, Bauman said.
The 12th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Ruggs has 24 receptions for 469 yards and two touchdowns this season. In 13 games last season, Ruggs caught 26 passes for 452 yards and two touchdowns. During his three years at Alabama, Ruggs caught 98 passes for 1,716 yards and 24 touchdowns while averaging 17.5 yards per catch.
Prior to releasing Ruggs late Tuesday night, the Raiders released a statement: "The Raiders are aware of an accident involving Henry Ruggs III that occurred this morning in Las Vegas. We are devastated by the loss of life and our thoughts and prayers go out to the victim's family. We are in the process of gathering information and will have no further comment at this time."
On Wednesday, Raiders interim head coach Rich Bisaccia opened his press conference with a statement about the situation: "We want to express our sincere condolences to the victim's family. A person lost their life yesterday morning, and we think it's important to keep focus on that as we talk about this tragic event. We're deeply saddened for everyone affected, especially the victim's family.
"That being said, we love Henry Ruggs. We want him to know that. It was a terrible lapse in judgement, of the most horrific kind, and something that he'll have to live with the rest of his life.
"The gravity of the situation is not lost on anyone here, and we understand and respect the loss of life."
