Henry Ruggs, Former Bama Football Star, Takes Plea Deal in Fatal DUI Crash

Former Las Vegas Raiders player Henry Ruggs sits in court on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ty O’Neil)

Former Las Vegas Raiders player Henry Ruggs III, who was a star receiver at Alabama, will serve prison time for a fatal DUI crash.

In a plea deal, Ruggs will admit that he drove drunk at up to 156 mph before causing a fiery crash that killed a woman in 2021.

That will mean the 24-year-old first-round NFL draft pick will avoid trial and be sentenced to three to 10 years in state prison.

Ruggs, who is from Montgomery, played football at Lee High School. He was then a star wide receiver for Alabama from 2017-19.

According to police, Ruggs was driving a Chevrolet Corvette that plowed into the rear of a Toyota Rav4 on a residential thoroughfare west of the Las Vegas Strip. The Toyota caught fire and the driver died.

Henry Ruggs III – Photo from Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department

Ruggs spoke in court Tuesday only to acknowledge that he understands the terms of his plea deal. His plea is scheduled May 10, with sentencing to come on another date. A prosecutor endorsed the agreement.

Ruggs was dropped by the Raiders shortly after the crash in November 2021.

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Las Vegas Metro Police investigators work at the scene of a fatal crash Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Eric Jamison)