Henry Ruggs III was going more than 150 mph with twice Nevada’s legal limit of blood-alcohol content when his sports car collided with the back of another vehicle, killing a young woman,” stated Clark County Prosecuting Attorney Mark O’Brien on Wednesday.
Just hours after the crash, Ruggs was released from the hospital, and he was booked into a Las Vegas jail by the Raiders. As of Wednesday, his preliminary hearing on felony counts of DUI resulting in death and reckless driving may land him up to 26 years behind bars in the state of California.
With his attorneys David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld present, Ruggs, a 22-year-old man, was not asked to enter a plea until Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson had filed formal charges.
An investigation is ongoing to determine the identity of the Las Vegas woman who was killed in the wrecked and charred Toyota Rav4. Kiara Je’nai Kilgo-Washington, 22, of Las Vegas, has been identified as Ruggs’ passenger by Las Vegas police. Her baby is rumored to have been fathered by him. Both Ruggs and Kilgo-Washington were hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries when Ruggs’s Chevrolet Corvette smashed into the Toyota at around 3.40am on Tuesday, according to authorities.
According to property records, Ruggs owns a house within a few miles of where the tragedy occurred.
Corvette’s air bag computer records show it slowed from 156mph to 127mph before slamming into Toyota, according to Eric Bauman, a prosecutor.
Joe M Bonaventure, a judge since he became a judge, said he had never seen a speed this high engaged in a collision case. Chesnoff requested $150,000 bond, but the judge denied Bauman’s request for $1 million and instead set bail at $150,000 with onerous terms, such as house confinement, electronic monitoring and the surrender of Ruggs’ passport.
Bauman stated that Ruggs had a BAC of 0.16 percent. Ruggs “showed signs of impairment,” according to an earlier police statement. Additionally, Bauman stated that a loaded pistol was discovered on the floor of the vehicle.
A weapon charge and a second DUI charge against Ruggs are possible, Wolfson said outside court. Kilgo-severe Washington’s arm injuries necessitated a weapon charge, he said.
Ruggs will return to court on November 10th, according to the judge.
Those convicted of DUI resulting in death in Nevada are not eligible for probation, which could lead to up to 20 years in jail. Reckless driving carries a penalty of one to six years in prison and/or probation.
On Tuesday night, the Raiders issued a brief statement announcing the release of Ruggs.
In a statement released earlier in the day, both the team and the NFL said they were aware of the tragedy, offered their condolences to the family of the woman who died, and promised to investigate “this sad incident.”
A cornerstone player for the Raiders, Ruggs was expected to fail. During his three seasons at Alabama, he helped the Crimson Tide win the NCAA championship as a rookie in 2017. With 24 receptions for 469 yards and two scores, Ruggs emerged as a star this season. He recorded 26 receptions for 452 yards and two scores as a rookie in 2020.
Off the field, the Raiders have had a rough year. After their final game of the season, running back Josh Jacobs was arrested for DUI after a car accident in the early hours of the morning. As recently as last month, it was revealed that its head coach Jon Gruden had used racist, homophobic and misogynistic language in his emails.