‘All I see is flames:’ New 911 calls capture moments after Henry Ruggs crash
Newly released 911 calls capture the moment witnesses started to report the fiery crash that killed Tina Tintor and her dog, Max, on the morning of Nov. 2.
A first caller, Michael Leone, who previously spoke with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, repeatedly tells the dispatcher that he does not believe anyone is in the burning vehicle. He describes a Lamborghini and another car that is on fire.
“There’s a lady screaming for help,” he says. “She’s trapped.”
According to Henry Ruggs’ arrest report, he was speeding up to 156 mph seconds before crashing into the back of Tintor’s Toyota RAV4 in a residential area near Rainbow Boulevard and Spring Valley Parkway. The impact ignited the RAV4’s fuel tank, and the SUV burst into flames.
Ruggs, then a wide receiver for the Raiders, faces DUI and reckless driving charges in connection with the crash. He was released by the team on the night of the crash.
Tintor died in the wreck, which was about 2 miles from her home. The 2016 Durango High School graduate was 23.
Ruggs’ vehicle was a Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, police said. No Lamborghini was involved.
In Leone’s 911 call, released Wednesday by the Metropolitan Police Department, he says he sees someone being pulled from the Lamborghini, and it is unclear if the person is conscious. He tells the dispatcher that there’s someone with a fire extinguisher trying to put out the fire.
When asked if anyone in the car appears to be under the influence, Leone says it’s “possible.”
“I want to say the Lamborghini was probably speeding,” he says. “I heard loud noises and then a big collision.”
He also reports that there are multiple people in the area but says he is not sure how many were involved in the crash.
A second call, also released Wednesday, involves a woman whose name is not audible in the call. She asks the dispatcher to send help quickly. She tells the dispatcher she was “in bed” and heard the accident.
“All I see is flames, and it’s almost all gone,” she says, then later adds, “Someone’s in there, I think.”
The new audio was released a day after the Clark County Fire Department released 911 audio related to the crash. The Fire Department audio did not include any calls from witnesses.
According to the Fire Department calls, a Metro dispatcher initially said no one appeared to be inside the RAV4.
In a follow-up call, the same police dispatcher provided the following update: “Hey, it’s Metro. For the accident on Rainbow and Spring Valley, the vehicle that’s on fire, my person believes there might be somebody inside the vehicle.”
A firefighter also chimed in: “Just want to make sure that you guys copy that there might be someone still inside the vehicle that’s on fire.”
Prosecutors formally charged Ruggs on Wednesday in connection with the crash.
According to Las Vegas court records, he faces felony counts of DUI resulting in death, DUI resulting in substantial bodily harm, and two counts of reckless driving resulting in death or substantial bodily harm in connection with the death of Tintor and the injuries his front-seat passenger, longtime girlfriend Rudy Washington, suffered in the pre-dawn crash.
Ruggs has been out of custody and on house arrest since he posted bail the day after the crash.
He faces up to 40 years behind bars if convicted of the DUI counts.
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Contact Jonah Dylan at jdylan@reviewjournal.com. Follow @TheJonahDylan on Twitter.