Who was Tina Tintor? Former NFL star Henry Ruggs sentenced to up to 10 years in prison for DUI crash that killed 23-year-old woman

Tina Tintor and her dog, Max, died after Henry Ruggs rammed her car while driving at almost 156mph while drunk in 2021

UPDATED AUG 10, 2023

Henry Ruggs III has been sentenced to three-to-10 years in prison for his role in a fiery DUI crash that killed Tina Tintor and her dog in 2021 (Chris Unger/Getty Images; Sox_Nick/Twitter)

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA: Former NFL player Henry Ruggs III has been sentenced to three to 10 years in prison for his role in a fiery DUI crash that resulted in the death of Tina Tintor.

Ruggs, 24, was initially facing more than 50 years in prison but in May, he reached a deal with prosecutors and agreed to plead guilty to one felony count of DUI and one misdemeanor count of vehicular manslaughter in exchange for a prison sentence that would not exceed three-to-10 years.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 13: Wide receiver Henry Ruggs III #11 of the Las Vegas Raiders warms up before a game against the Indianapolis Colts at Allegiant Stadium on December 13, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images) — Henry Ruggs has been sentenced to three to 10 years in prison for a DUI crash (Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images)

During his sentencing hearing on Wednesday, August 9, the former receiver apologized to the family of Tinter, who was killed in the crash along with her dog Max.

"To the parents and family of Ms Tintor, I sincerely apologize for the pain and suffering my actions the morning of Nov. 2, 2021, have caused you, your family, and those who knew Ms Tina and Max," he said in the courtroom, according to TMZ.

Who was Tina Tintor?

Tintor, 23, was a Serbian immigrant, who came to the US with her brother, Djordje, and mother, Biljana, at the age of three. Her family reportedly said that she graduated from high school in Las Vegas.

Tina Tintor was a Serbian immigrant, who came to the US with her brother and mother Biljana at the age of three. (Twitter) — Tina Tintor was a Serbian immigrant, who came to the US with her brother and mother at the age of three (Twitter)

Tintor worked from home, answering calls for an insurance company but dreamed of building a career in computer science. She was also "on the verge" of getting a US citizenship.

Djordje had revealed that before her death, she had spent the evening taking Max out for a walk at a local dog park. The two were on their way home from the park when the crash occurred. He also told the Daily Mail that Tintor was hanging out with a friend "until around 12 and then went out to the park."

A photograph of Tina Tintor and her dog Max is displayed among items left at a roadside memorial near the site where they died in a vehicle crash involving former Las Vegas Raiders player Henry Ruggs III on November 4, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Police and prosecutors say Ruggs was driving his Chevrolet Corvette at up to 156 mph with a blood-alcohol level twice the legal limit in Nevada when he hit the back of Tintor's Toyota RAV4 on Tuesday morning, causing her vehicle to catch fire. Ruggs and his girlfriend, Kiara Je'nai Kilgo-Washington, were hospitalized for injuries suffered in the wreck. The Raiders later released Ruggs after he was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on multiple felony DUI and reckless driving charges. — A photograph of Tina Tintor and her dog Max is displayed among items left at a roadside memorial near the site where they died in a vehicle crash involving former Las Vegas Raiders player Henry Ruggs III on November 4, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

How did Tina Tintor die?

During the trial, prosecutors noted that Ruggs had been driving at almost 156 mph when he crashed his Chevrolet Corvette into her Toyota Rav-4 at 3.39 am on November 2, 2021. The impact was such that both vehicles were thrown 500ft down the road. Tintor and Max burnt to death after their car burst into flames as eyewitnesses tried their best to rescue the two despite the fire.

Ruggs' girlfriend, Je'nai Kilgo-Washington, was also injured in the fatal crash. Blood samples taken after the crash showed that his blood-alcohol level was 0.16%, twice the legal limit in Nevada. Authorities also revealed that hours before the crash, Ruggs had been partying with his friends and family at a sports entertainment site and golfing venue, where he consumed "up to 18 shots" of alcohol.

Is Henry Ruggs eligible for parol?

In days following the collision, Ruggs was charged with two felonies and was released from the Las Vegas Raiders. He was reportedly the first-round Draft pick for the team in 2020, from Alabama.

Ruggs apologizes to Tina Tintor’s family pic.twitter.com/fFBhfUBf9W
— Nkiruka Azuka (@NkirukaAzuka) August 9, 2023

After leaving the hospital, Ruggs posted $150,000 bail to be freed from jail and remained on house arrest for 18 months with strict conditions including alcohol checks. Now, he could be eligible for parole in three years.

Following the hearing, Farhan Naqvi, an attorney who represented Tintor’s family, reacted to the court’s order, saying, “The sentence isn’t going to bring Tina back. What we’re hoping for, more than anything, is that other deaths can be prevented by driving under the influence and reckless driving. It ruins lives. It destroys families,” according to Associate Press.