NFLPA driver program no longer available at time of Ruggs’ crash

Las Vegas police investigate a fatal crash involving two vehicles at South Rainbow Boulevard an ...

A player ride service offered by the National Football Association Players Association was not available to Raiders receiver Henry Ruggs on the night of his deadly suspected DUI crash.

In 2010, the NFLPA began offering the Player Transportation Link service, which allowed players and NFL alumni to call an 800-number to be picked up 24/7 from anywhere with no questions asked, according to NFLPA spokesman Brandon Parker.

But as ride hailing options like Uber and Lyft gained in popularity in recent years, the NFLPA decided to end the service in 2019, Parker said.

Although the service ended, Parker said union officials regularly discuss with players the significance of making safe choices behind the wheel.

“We do make a point during our annual team meetings to remind players about the importance of using safe practices when driving and that their union serves as a continued resource for them whenever they need it,” Parker said in an email.

The Raiders weren’t immediately available to comment on if the team had its own transportation service available to players.

Ruggs crashed into the rear of a vehicle driven by 23-year-old Tina Tintor on Rainbow Boulevard while traveling at 127 mph at the time of impact. Tintor and her dog, who was in the vehicle with her, died as result of the crash.

A Las Vegas police report notes Ruggs’ girlfriend, Kiara Kilgo-Washington, who was a passenger in his Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, said the couple had been at Topgolf Las Vegas earlier that evening, before heading to a friend’s house. She noted they ordered alcoholic drinks, of which she had two, but said she wasn’t sure how many, if any, Ruggs had consumed.

The District Attorney’s office noted Ruggs’ blood alcohol level was 0.16, twice the legal limit for drivers in Nevada. Ruggs is facing charges of DUI resulting in death and reckless driving.

Andrew Bennett, Nevada Department of Public Safety spokesman, said he hopes the attention the Ruggs’ case is garnering can be used as a point of education, to point out no one is invincible.

“At the end of the day DUI and fatal crashes are a great equalizer,” Bennett said. “This crash proves, regardless of who you are or what you do for a living, you can be affected by traffic violence or create that violence for yourself. There are so many excuses not to get behind the wheel impaired. I’m so disappointed not only in him (Ruggs) but the people around him that might have been able to prevent this from happening.”

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on Twitter.

More Raiders: Follow at vegasnation.com and @VegasNation on Twitter.

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