Nevada parole board rejects Henry Ruggs III's bid for early release after deadly 156 MPH DUI crash
The people hoping Henry Ruggs III could be paroled on Thursday were adamant he's improved as a person, is remorseful about the accident that killed a woman in a 2021 car crash, and is ready to re-enter society. It was not good enough for the Nevada Board of Parole Commissioners.
The board denied the parole request by Ruggs, and he may not get out until 2027 when a mandatory parole release date is set.
It has been nearly five years since Ruggs, a 2020 first-round draft pick for the Las Vegas Raiders, drove his sports car at speeds of up to 156 mph and slammed into a vehicle driven by Tina Tintor.
Tintor, 23, and her dog, Max, were killed as their car burst violently into flames.
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Prosecutors at the time said that Ruggs was legally drunk. He had a blood alcohol level of 0.16, which is twice the legal limit, in a test taken within the required two hours after the crash.
Ruggs spent the evening of Nov. 2, 2021, at Topgolf, a sports entertainment venue in Las Vegas, according to prosecutors.
Ruggs pleaded guilty in May 2023 to felony DUI causing death and misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter. He was sentenced in August 2023 to a three-to-10-year prison sentence.
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The prison sentence effectively ended Ruggs' NFL career, although there have been whispers he'd like to attempt a comeback when he eventually is released. He would be 28 years old if he gets out before the 2027 NFL season.
Ruggs, in the meantime, completed his bachelor's degree at the University of Alabama, participated in prison work and trustee programs, including a stint working at the Nevada governor's mansion under a state inmate work program, and expressed his remorse about the incident.
That apparently was not enough for the Board.
The Associated Press reported Ruggs will go before the parole board again three months before his Aug. 24, 2027, mandatory parole release date, according to Kathi Baker, executive director of the Nevada Board of Parole Commissioners.