Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III charged with DUI resulting in death in car crash
According to authorities, former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III has been charged with DUI resulting in death in connection with a car crash early Tuesday morning. The squad released Ruggs less than 24 hours later.
Ruggs, the team’s leading receiver, was driving a Chevrolet Corvette “at a high rate of speed” on Rainbow Boulevard at 3:30 a.m. when his car collided with the rear end of a Toyota Rav4, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
The Toyota caught fire, and police said they found a deceased corpse inside the SUV. A 23-year-old lady was identified as the victim.
Ruggs, 22, reportedly remained at the scene but “showed signs of impairment.” In addition to the DUI that caused significant bodily harm, he was charged with careless driving, both of which are felonies.
According to authorities, the wide receiver was taken to University Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries. Kiara Je’nai Kilgo-Washington, a 22-year-old female passenger in Ruggs’ car, was also hurt in the incident.
Ruggs was dismissed by the team late Tuesday, according to a simple tweet. He had a four-year, $16.67 million rookie contract that was fully guaranteed.
The Raiders did not play on Sunday since they were on bye this week.
“We are aware of an accident involving Henry Ruggs III that occurred this morning in Las Vegas,” the organization announced in a statement prior to his release. We are heartbroken by the loss of life, and our thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s family. We are gathering facts and will make no more comments at this time.”
Ruggs was the Raiders’ No. 12 overall first-round pick in 2020. Before entering the draft, he was a star at Alabama, averaging 700 yards per game in his sophomore and junior seasons.
In 2021, he has 24 catches for 469 yards. He’s also tied for the team lead with two receiving touchdowns.
The quick receiver got 452 yards and two scores in his first season, but he appeared to be coming out as the team’s top threat in 2021.
The ABC News This report was contributed to by Jennifer Watts and Alex Stone.
Leave a Reply