The Las Vegas Raiders‘ leading wide receiver, Henry Ruggs III, was involved in a car accident at 3:39 AM on Tuesday morning in Las Vegas, Nevada. Here is the latest news regarding the fatal incident.
Henry Ruggs III involved in fatal car accident
According to a statement from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, responding officers arrived at the scene of an accident involving a Toyota RAV4 and a Chevrolet Corvette.
When they arrived, the RAV4 was on fire, and responding fire department personnel located a deceased victim inside the vehicle. Ruggs, who was driving the Corvette, reportedly rear-ended the RAV4 and remained at the scene, showing signs of impairment.
First responders transported him to UMC Hospital so doctors could treat his non-life-threatening injuries. Ruggs will reportedly be charged with DUI resulting in death. Ruggs posted on his Instagram account last night that he was at Top Golf in Las Vegas, which is roughly 15 minutes from the site of the crash.
The fallout from the accident
The applicable Nevada law, DUI causing injury or death, is a Class B felony that carries a prison sentence of up to 20 years. Law enforcement must have reason to believe that Ruggs was above the state’s legal blood-alcohol limit, .08, or was under the influence of a controlled substance. If convicted, punishment includes 2 to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $5,000, and a three-year license revocation.
According to documents obtained by NFL Network, Ruggs was booked into Clark County Detention Center on charges of DUI resulting in substantial bodily harm and reckless driving resulting in death or substantial bodily harm at 2:11 PM PST on Tuesday.
The Raiders have issued the following statement:
“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 will have no further comment at this time.”
On Tuesday at 11:50 PM ET, the Raiders announced on Twitter that they released Ruggs from the roster.
The Raiders’ tumultuous season continues
Las Vegas has been through a rough year, starting 3-0 before losing two straight in advance of the midseason Jon Gruden situation. He and the Raiders agreed to part ways over a series of emails that the NFL uncovered during their investigation of the Washington Football Team. Gruden landed in hot water after his emails showed multiple examples of racist and discriminatory language.
Ruggs had led the Raiders with 469 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns through seven games. After their two-game skid, the Raiders have rebounded under interim head coach Rich Bisaccia, winning two in a row. They currently find themselves atop the AFC West at 5-2. Both the Chiefs and Chargers have taken a backseat in the division.