Ruggs accused of driving 156 mph before fatal crash
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – Lawyers for Henry Ruggs III say firefighters waited 20 minutes to put out a fire that started after the former Las Vegas Raiders player slammed his car into another, killing his driver and his dog.
Court documents obtained by the I-Team include the claim of Ruggs lawyers David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld, as well as their request for documents regarding the firefighters’ response.
Ruggs faces charges of impaired driving leading to death and reckless driving leading to death in a fatal crash on November 2. Court documents revealed that Ruggs had a blood alcohol level twice the legal limit and was traveling 156 mph seconds before the crash. .
In court on Wednesday, Judge Suzan Baucum ordered Ruggs to appear in court next week for a missed alcohol test, which he is required to do four times a day as part of his house arrest.
Ruggs’ attorneys appeared on his behalf Wednesday morning for a motion hearing. Although his lawyers have argued that Ruggs was conscientious and tested himself shortly after failing the test, Baucum said it didn’t matter and ordered him to appear in court next Monday. .
Her Corvette crashed into Tina Tintor’s car on Rainbow Boulevard near Spring Valley Parkway, igniting a fire, killing her and her dog.
According to documents filed in court, Ruggs’ attorneys described him as “an honest and honorable member of our community.” They noted that Ruggs had no criminal record.
Ruggs, originally from Alabama, graduated from the University of Alabama. The I-Team asked those responsible there for a recording of any citation or criminal history, which yielded no results.
Ruggs’ attorneys were in court Wednesday on a motion to obtain all communications from the Clark County Fire Department regarding the accident. Baucum told lawyers they can issue their own subpoena for those cases.
According to court documents, attorneys are seeking all communications from any member of the Clark County Fire Department who responded to the crash. They also look for all communications from a respondent who may have texted or emailed an employee who was not at the scene.
“Through a defense investigation, finding an insightful witness, it was revealed that the Clark County Fire Department was able to extinguish the fire on the vehicle while it was in was in its infancy and failed to do so, â€court documents mentioned.
According to court documents, lawyers for Ruggs claim that “the firefighters did not attempt to put out the blaze … for about 20 minutes, during which time the entire vehicle was engulfed in flames.”
The Clark County Fire Department released a statement last week saying, “There has been no delay in responding or in attacking the fire.”
“The captain at the scene reported that the vehicle was completely involved in the fire upon arrival and that the cabin was not survivable for anyone inside. There was continuous reignition in an area of ​​the car which caused problems for the crews, which is not unusual in vehicle fires. The captain stated that there was material leaking, possibly from an igniting fuel line in the rear wheel area on the passenger side. Firefighters continuously extinguished this area as it reignited.
A 911 caller who alerted dispatchers shortly after the accident said, “All I see is flames.”