Tina Tintor heard screaming as she died in Henry Ruggs car crash – as family say they’re ‘torn apart’
THE victim of Henry Ruggs’ fiery high-speed car crash was heard screaming as she died, it emerged on Wednesday – as her family said they’re “torn apart” over her death.
Tina Tintor, 23, died early on Tuesday morning in a horror blaze after Ruggs crashed into her SUV – after reaching speeds of 156 mph – while he was allegedly drunk.
Heartbreaking tributes to Tina have been posted to her social media pages, which have been seen by The Sun.
A close friend of Tina’s told The Sun: “I spoke to her a month ago. I happened to see her around the Summerlin area and I greeted her. Her and myself have been friends since we were sophomores in high school. It is heartbreaking. I can’t believe it.”
Las Vegas Raiders star Ruggs, 22, appeared in a wheelchair with a foam neck brace at an arraignment hearing on Wednesday.
Ruggs was driving his 2020 Chevrolet Corvette and decreased his speed from 156mph to 127mph as he turned onto Rainbow Boulevard, The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said.
He had a blood-alcohol content twice Nevada’s legal limit before his sports car slammed into the rear of a vehicle, killing Tina, prosecutors said.
Tina’s Toyota Rav4 burst into flames after the collision and slid more than 570 feet before coming to a stop just blocks from her home.
A bystander, Alexander Hart, was nearby standing as a security guard at a condominium and rushed to help, according to the police report.
When he arrived, he heard screams coming from the Toyota.
Tina was still alive, he told the police but he couldn’t pull her out, because she was pinned inside the SUV.
The Toyota “was soon overcome with smoke and heat from flames,” and Hart had to back away, according to the report.
Tinas family members also attended the court appearance and Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said he met them for the first time.
“They’re torn apart,” he said. “This was a terrible, terrible collision, so they’re mourning their loss. They’re grieving. They’re mad.”
Tina’s dog, who was in the back seat, also died.
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Ruggs refused a sobriety test at the scene, police said, but later blood tests were taken at the hospital showing his intoxication levels.
His girlfriend Rudy Washington, 22, was also in the car and was rushed to the hospital with major injuries.
She underwent surgery Tuesday for a severe arm injury, authorities said.
Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Joe M. Bonaventure said he was troubled by his initial review of the case against Ruggs, adding that in 16 years on the bench he had never heard of a crash involving a vehicle traveling so fast.
Read our Henry Ruggs live blog for the very latest news and updates…
Ruggs, a wide receiver for the Las Vegas Raiders was charged with Tina’s death and reckless driving.
The judge set his bail at $150,000 and his next court appearance is November 10.
The Raiders announced they were releasing Ruggs from the team in a statement on Twitter that said, “The Las Vegas Raiders have released WR Henry Ruggs III.”
Ruggs was supposed to be a cornerstone for the Raiders.
He was picked 12th overall in the 2020 draft after three years at Alabama, including helping the Crimson Tide win the NCAA championship as a freshman in 2017.
He was emerging as a star this season with 24 catches for a team-high 469 yards and two touchdowns.
As a rookie in 2020, he had 26 catches for 452 yards and two touchdowns.
Ruggs crash occurred three weeks after Jon Gruden abruptly resigned as Raiders coach over emails he sent before being hired by the team in 2018.
Gruden stepped down after The New York Times reported that the emails had racist, homophobic and misogynistic comments.
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