Las Vegas Raiders star Henry Ruggs III is facing a felony for driving under the influence charge after a collision left another person dead, as well as their dog, early Tuesday morning, authorities said. The Raiders later released Ruggs from the team.
Local police said Ruggs was driving a Chevrolet Corvette at 156 mph when he struck the rear of a Toyota Rav4. When officers arrived at the scene, the Toyota was in flames. Fire officials pulled a deceased victim, a 23-year-old woman, from the Toyota. Ruggs, 22, remained on the scene and showed “signs of impairment,” police said. He was transported to a local hospital with injuries. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said Ruggs would be charged with DUI resulting in death. If convicted, Ruggs could face two to 20 years in prison.
His attorneys, David Z. Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld, said they would be conducting an investigation and asked the public to “reserve judgment until all the facts are gathered.” The Raiders selected Ruggs with the 12th pick in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He played three years at the University of Alabama, helping the Crimson Tide win a National Championship in 2017. He was having a stellar year for the Raiders, serving as a deep threat. He tallied 24 catches for 469 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 19.5 yards per catch. He seemed to be coming into his own, and the Raiders sit at 5-2 and atop the AFC West. They seemed primed for a big season, with Ruggs being a featured part of that.
Now, the former first-round pick could face 20 years in prison, and his NFL career is almost certainly over. The Raiders offered condolences to the victim’s family on Tuesday. “We are devastated by the loss of life and our thoughts and prayers go out to the victim’s family,” the team said in a statement. “We are in the process of gathering information and will have no further comment at this time.”
