Update as of Nov. 3 at 1 pm EST
Per local news reports in Vegas, Ruggs was allegedly driving 156 mph. Furthermore, he blew a .161 blood-alcohol level which is two times the legal limit.
In court this morning, Ruggs came in with a wheelchair. His bail was set at set $150,000 by Judge Joe Bonaventure — the state had requested a $1 million bond. He has also been ordered to abstain from alcohol, controlled substances, not to drive, and had to surrender his passport.
Update as of 11:50 p.m. EST
The Raiders have released Ruggs following news of his fatal car crash.
The Las Vegas Raiders have released WR Henry Ruggs III.
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) November 3, 2021
Ruggs was released from the hospital on Tuesday hours after the accident. Following his discharge, he was taken to jail and will appear in court for his initial hearing at 9 a.m. Wednesday in Las Vegas Justice Court. At this moment, the wide receiver is facing felony charges of driving under the influence of alcohol resulting in death and reckless driving, per court records show.
Initial story
According to the Las Vegas Police Department, Henry Ruggs III — a wide receiver for the Las Vegas Raiders — was driving a Corvette on Tuesday a little after 3:30 A.M. PDT when he struck the back of a Toyota.
The Toyota caught fire and the driver died. The driver has not been identified.
Police said the 22-year-old Raiders player will be charged with a felony DUI resulting in death. Officers who responded to the crash stated Ruggs showed signs of impairment.
Ruggs and his female passenger were hospitalized with nonlife-threatening injuries.
Ruggs attorneys, David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld, said that on behalf of Ruggs, they will be investigating the crash. In addition, they “ask everyone to reserve judgment until all of the facts are gathered”.
“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,” the team said in a statement.
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said: “Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the victim of this horrific tragedy. We will continue to gather facts and monitor the matter under our policies, but our thoughts at this time are with those impacted by this devastating incident.”
Charges have not yet been filed as district attorney Steve Wolfson awaits the results of the investigation.
Ruggs has been with the Raiders since they selected the Alabama alum in 2020 as the No. 12 overall draft pick.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time a Raiders player was involved in a DUI and car crash. On January 4, Raiders running back Josh Jacob was arrested after a crash, however, the charges were dropped. After an investigation, results showed Jacobs’ blood alcohol level was below the legal limit.
More details are to come as the story develops.
