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Alabama coach Nick Saban offers support, love after Henry Ruggs’ fatal car crash

Alabama coach Nick Saban spoke out on Thursday after his former receiver Henry Ruggs was involved in a fatal car crash in Las Vegas.

The Las Vegas Raiders receiver was charged with DUI resulting in death and reckless driving after police said he crashed into another car early on Tuesday morning and killed a 23-year-old woman.

"Our thoughts and prayers certainly go out to all involved in this tragic situation, especially the victims," Saban said Thursday, via The Tuscaloosa News. "Our thoughts and prayers are certainly with them. But our thoughts and prayers are also with Henry and his family."

Las Vegas police said that Ruggs was driving down a residential street at 156 miles per hour with his girlfriend around 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning when he crashed into the woman’s car. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Ruggs was arrested, and police said his blood-alcohol level was at .161 — more than double the legal limit in Nevada. The Raiders released him hours later.

Ruggs spent three seasons playing for Saban at Alabama from 2017-19 before he went No. 12 overall in the 2020 draft.

Though his playing career is almost certainly over, Saban knows both that he needs to be there for Ruggs and that this moment has a lesson to go along with it.

"Sometimes the consequences can be devastating," Saban said, via The Tuscaloosa News. "These consequences are going to probably be pretty devastating to Henry. We love him. We're going to support him through it, but we also have a lot of compassion for the victims, and our thoughts and prayers are also with them."