Former Las Vegas Raiders WR Henry Ruggs underwent treatment for PTSD after fatal crash
A new filing from former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs‘ lawyers reveals that he spent a month in mental health treatment for PTSD after his DUI crash that killed 23-year-old woman Tina Tintor and her dog in November of 2021. The former first-round draft pick out of Alabama will receive his sentence from a judge on Wednesday, Aug. 9.
Ruggs attended in-patient treatment for 28 days for PTSD in May 2022 in Newport Beach, California, according to the filing obtained by 8NewsNow.
“Mr. Ruggs was fully engaged in the treatment process and made steady progress with his treatment team,” a letter from the Mental Health Collective’s clinical director said.
On top of the trauma from the accident, the lawyers also noted that Ruggs’ best friend died in a car crash as a teenager, leading to more trauma.
The former Raiders’ lawyers, David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld, recently filed documents asking the judge to stick with the stipulated 3-to-10-year sentence.
“[It] is evidence that Mr. Ruggs is a man of good character who made a terrible mistake,” the lawyers wrote. “In light of Mr. Ruggs’ post-offense conduct, it is clear that he has made positive changes in his life, has accepted responsibility, and has sincere remorse.”
Ruggs pleas guilty in exchange for reduced charges
According to the plea deal Ruggs agreed to in early May, he agreed to plead guilty to one count of Driving Under the Influence resulting in death. He also pled guilty to one count of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter.
He’ll serve between three and 10 years in a Nevada state prison. Because he agreed to plead guilty, prosecutors dropped one count of DUI causing substantial harm and two counts of reckless driving. The DUI that prosecutors dropped concerned injuries that the passenger in his car sustained. If he’d gone to trial on all charges, Henry Ruggs could’ve faced up to 50 years of prison.
The accident that changed Ruggs’ life and ended Tina Tintor’s happened in the early hours of Nov. 2, 2021. Police say that Ruggs, who was driving his Corvette Stingray, hit a Toyota RAV4 after he had been drinking at a TopGolf and then at a friend’s house. Ruggs hit speeds as high as 156 mph before he collided with the Toyota.
Ruggs refused to take a field sobriety test at the scene. However, a blood draw about two hours later indicated his blood-alcohol level was 0.16 – twice the legal level in Nevada.
Tina Tintor’s mother, brother and uncle are scheduled to speak at the sentencing, documents reveal.