AP Photo/Rick Scuteri
The Las Vegas Raiders have announced that wide receiver Henry Ruggs III has been released from the team. He is being charged with driving under the influence, resulting in death.
After responding to a traffic accident that morning, Las Vegas police had announced Tuesday that they would charge the wide receiver. The victim was found in a Toyota on fire. Ruggs was the driver of the Chevrolet involved in the accident.
He also showed signs of impairment, according to police.
A statement from the AFC West team stated that they were aware of an accident that involved Henry Ruggs III. It occurred in Las Vegas this morning. We are deeply saddened by the loss and offer our condolences to the victims' family. We are still gathering information, and we will not be commenting further at this point.
A spokesperson for the NFL also released a statement echoing that sentiment, saying: "Our hearts go out the the victims of this terrible tragedy." While we will continue to collect facts and monitor the matter, our thoughts are with those who were affected by this tragic incident.
According to TMZ Sports, Ruggs could be sentenced to up 20 years imprisonment if convicted of the DUI charge.
Reports also indicated that Kiara Washington, his girlfriend, was a passenger in the car and sustained "serious" injuries.
ESPN reported that Ruggs was discharged from the hospital and will appear in court on Wednesday. According to the report, Washington was also admitted to the hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.
Ruggs' lawyers, Richard Schonfeld and David Chesnoff, stated that they "ask everybody to reserve judgment until all facts have been gathered."
Ruggs, a native of Alabama, was selected by the Raiders as a first-round draft pick in 2020's NFL draft. He has played in 20 games for the Raiders over the past two seasons.
