Ex-NFL WR Henry Ruggs publicly apologizes to victim's family of deadly Las Vegas DUI crash

PREVIOUS: Tina Tintor, 23, identified as victim in Henry Ruggs DUI crash

PREVIOUS: Tina Tintor was the victim in a car crash involving former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III, officials said.

LAS VEGAS (KTTV) - As Henry Ruggs III continues his prison sentence of at least three years following a fiery crash that took the life of Tina Tintor and her dog, the former Las Vegas Raider has had time to reflect on the incident and issued a public apology to her family.

‘I wish I could turn back the hands of time’ 

What they're saying:

(Getty Images)

On Tuesday, ESPN reported Ruggs was granted special leave from prison to attend a Hope for Prisoners event.

The 26-year-old used the opportunity to apologize to Tintor’s family. 

"I wish I could turn back the hands of time. I would love for them to meet the real human Ruggs and not the one that was escaping from something," Ruggs said in a video posted to X by Vincent Bonsignore, a reporter for Vegas Nation. 

Ruggs continued to say, "I sincerely apologize for not only for being a part of that situation, but …the fact that my face is always in the news. My face is always in the newspaper, so they have to constantly be reminded of the situation, be reminded of me and see those memories because of all of the notoriety that I have, which I never even asked for, never liked."  

Last month, Ruggs’ former teammate, Josh Jacobs, said the two speak frequently and that Ruggs is training in prison for a potential return to the NFL. 

RELATED COVERAGE: 

• Henry Ruggs training in prison for potential NFL return, ex-Raiders teammate says
• Henry Ruggs was driving 156 mph seconds before deadly DUI crash, loaded gun found in car, prosecutors say

Fiery predawn crash

The backstory:

Las Vegas prosecutors said Henry Ruggs III was driving his Chevrolet Corvette at 156 mph just seconds before he crashed into the back of a RAV4 on Nov. 2, 2021.

The Toyota SUV burst into flames and left 23-year-old Tina Tintor and her 3-year-old dog dead at the scene. 

His speed dropped to 127 mph when the Corvette’s airbags deployed, Chief Deputy District Attorney Eric Bauman alleged during Ruggs’ first court appearance. 

During the investigation, authorities also found that Ruggs had a blood-alcohol level of 0.16% at the time of the crash, which is twice the legal limit in Nevada.

He was released by the Raiders shortly after. 

Former Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III. (Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images) (Getty Images)

Tintor was a Serbian immigrant who friends and family members said graduated from a Las Vegas high school, worked at a Target store, wanted to become a computer programmer and was close to obtaining her U.S. citizenship. 

In Aug. 2023, Ruggs was sentenced to at least three years in prison. 

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Ex-Raider Henry Ruggs sentenced to 3-plus years in prison for deadly DUI crash

‘Family was everything to Tina’

The other side:

"Tina's tragic loss has devastated her family beyond a grief they could ever comprehend," attorney Farhan Naqvi said in a statement issued to People in November 2021, days after her death. "Family was everything to Tina, and she was the light of her parents' life."