Former Raiders WR Henry Ruggs III pleads guilty to deadly DUI

Former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III is not going to go to trial to fight the charges against him stemming from a deadly DUI crash that killed a 23-year-old woman, Tina Tintor, in November 2021.

Elizabeth Merrill and Anthony Olivieri of ESPN are reporting that Ruggs will plead guilty to one count of DUI resulting in death and one count of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter. 

As part of the plea deal, the former No. 12 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft will see one count of DUI causing substantial harm to a passenger and two counts of reckless driving dropped.

Still, as a result of the two guilty pleas he's expected to serve three to 10 years in Nevada state prison.

"This is the first step toward a fair resolution to this matter and we look forward to closure for all the parties involved," Ruggs' attorneys said in a statement. 

Ruggs was, according to police, drunk and driving at speeds that reached 156 MPH west of the Las Vegas strip early in the morning on November 2, 2021. 

His Corvette Stingray hit the victim's vehicle, not only propelling it 571 feet away but also setting it on fire. Tintor, as well as her dog, burned to death.

Ruggs' girlfriend was in his car and injured in the incident. The wideout had refused a field sobriety test but a blood draw two hours after the crash confirmed that his blood alcohol level (0.161) was more than twice the legal limit in Nevada.

He was released by the Raiders the next day and has since been on house arrest.