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Henry Ruggs: Coroner reveals cause of death of woman killed in fireball crash

Coroner reveals Tina Tintor burned to death inside her vehicle after it was allegedly struck by the Las Vegas Raiders star

Rachel Sharp
Wednesday 15 December 2021 19:32 GMT
Henry Ruggs Was Reportedly Driving 156 Mph in Fatal Crash

New details have been revealed about the death of a woman in a horror car crash allegedly caused by former Las Vegas Raiders star Henry Ruggs last month.

Tina Tintor, 23, burned to death after the wide receiver plowed head-on into her vehicle while he was allegedly driving more than two times over the drink-driving limit and more than three times over the speeding limit, according to authorities.

The Clark County coroner’s office announced on Tuesday that Ms Tintor died from “thermal injuries due to a motor vehicle collision” in Las Vegas in the early hours of 2 November.

The coroner’s office also listed “other significant conditions” which contributed to her death, including “inhalation of products of combustion, fractures of the nasal bones, right sided ribs... left forearm and (chest)”.

The manner of death was ruled an accident.

Mr Ruggs, 22, was driving his Corvette sports car through a residential area near Rainbow Boulevard and Spring Valley Parkway early in the morning on 2 November with his longtime girlfriend Rudy Washington in the passenger seat.

Prosecutors said he reached speeds of 156mph just seconds before the crash. The area has a 45mph speed limit.

Mr Ruggs is accused of slamming into the back of Ms Tintor’s Toyota Rav4 with “such violent force” that it instantly burst into flames, trapping the 23-year-old inside her vehicle with her dog Max.

Desperate efforts by witnesses on the scene to save Ms Tintor from the raging inferno were futile and she was pronounced dead.

Prosecutors said Mr Ruggs’ blood alcohol level was 0.16 percent following the crash – twice the legal limit for drivers in the state Nevada.

Mr Ruggs was arrested and charged with a string of felonies including DUI resulting in death, DUI resulting in substantial bodily harm, and two counts of reckless driving resulting in death or substantial bodily harm.

He is being held on house arrest and faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted.

The Raiders dropped the professional football player from the team hours after the crash.

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