Henry Ruggs III's once-promising NFL career came to a swift end on Tuesday night after the Las Vegas Raiders decided to release the embattled wide receiver following his involvement in a tragic car crash that killed a 23-year-old woman earlier in the morning.
Ruggs faces felony charges after deadly car crash
Court records showed Ruggs facing felony charges of driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol resulting in death and reckless driving. The unfortunate accident occurred when Ruggs' Chevrolet Corvette rear-ended the victim's Toyota Rav 4 on a busy thoroughfare several miles west of the Las Vegas Strip.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department responded at the crime scene at around 3:39 A.M. with firefighters finding the Rav 4 engulfed in flames. According to the police, the firefighters who responded to the incident found a person dead inside the Toyota vehicle.
LVMPD released a statement detailing the crash, saying that Ruggs was driving his Corvette at a high rate of speed in the center lane before veering to the right lane, where he rear-ended the Toyota. LVMPD said on its Twitter thread that based on the preliminary investigation, "the front of the Chevrolet collided with the rear of the Toyota."
Police identified Ruggs as the driver of the Chevrolet, saying that he remained on the scene where he was showing signs of impairment. Ruggs and his passenger, Kiara Je'nai Kilgo-Washington, were hospitalized, but the police said their injuries did not appear life-threatening. According to department spokesman Officer Larry Hadfield, police were prohibited from disclosing medical information because of the federal privacy law.
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Raiders release Ruggs after DUI arrest
Ruggs was released from the hospital soon after and taken to jail earlier on Tuesday, ahead of his initial court appearance scheduled on Wednesday. Probation is not an option for Ruggs in this case, as a conviction on a charge of DUI causing death in the state of Nevada carries a possible sentence of two to 20 years in prison. Probation is available for charges of reckless driving with a possible sentence ranging from one to six years in prison.
Ruggs' attorneys, Richard Schonfeld and David Chesnoff, also released a statement, asking everyone to reserve judgment until all the facts are gathered as they are investigating the crash on behalf of their client.
The Raiders did not wait for the courts to act as they announced Ruggs' immediate release from the team via a brief statement. That decision comes hours after the Raiders said that they were in the process of gathering information about the crash and that they were devastated by the loss of life.
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy also issued a statement regarding the tragic incident, saying that their "hearts go out to the family and friends of the victim of this horrific tragedy." McCarthy added that they will continue to gather facts and monitor the matter under their policies, but their "thoughts at this time are with those impacted by this devastating incident."
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