Tina Tintor, the 23-year-old woman killed when ex-NFL star Henry Ruggs allegedly rear ended her car, is remembered by friends and family for her charisma and intelligence.
Tintor, who was employed at Target and was heading home early Tuesday morning when she was killed, became trapped in her vehicle after prosecutors said Ruggs rammed into it at 156 miles per hour.
Both Tintor and her dog, Maxi, were killed in the ensuing fire — haunting images that a bystander captured on video.
Her family has not announced plans for a funeral or public remembrance ceremony, but loved ones and well wishers of the slain 23-year-old erected a memorial near the crash site on Thursday.
Friend: Tina Tintor Hoped to Gain Citizenship
Bojana Filipovic told local reporters that she and Tintor were lifelong friends.
“We met when we were 5 years old in the same neighborhood she lives in now. That’s where she was heading,” Filipovic told FOx 5 Vegas.
Both young women were natives of Serbia and had grown up in Las Vegas’ Serbian immigrant community, she said.
According to Filipovic, she and Tintor had spent the hours before her death taking her dog, Maxi, on a late night walk, as they often did.
“We always go to parks and walk her dogs and just hang out and have a good time,” Filipovic said. “And just think about our future. We were just talking about going to Serbia together,” she said.
Filipovic said Tintor had just dropped her off and was headed home early Tuesday morning when the accident happened.
“She was just about to get her citizenship and everything was going swell,” she told reporters.
Filipovic didn’t know that something was wrong until Wednesday morning, when she said she heard from Tintor’s mother.
“Her mom was calling me crying like, ‘Hey, can you check if that’s her car. She wasn’t coming home. She was supposed to wake up at 7 a.m. to run errands but she never got home with her dog,’” she said.
“I love you very much,” Filipovic said of her friend. “I wish I got to say goodbye, and I’ll see you in the next life.”
Family and Community Remember Tina Tintor
Bojana Filipovic said she’ll always remember her best friend’s kindness.
“She’d give you a shoulder to lean on, and she’ll always slap sense into you if you do something wrong,” she said.
She called Tintor charismatic and intelligent, and added that the 23-year-old planned to work in computer programming.
Tintor’s family issued a statement through their legal team, Naqvi Injury Law in Las Vegas.
“Tina’s tragic loss has devastated her family beyond a grief they could ever comprehend. Family was everything to Tina, and she was the light of her parents’ life,” the statement read.
“Tina lived in Las Vegas since she was a baby. She loved her 3-year-old Golden Retriever, Max, who passed alongside her Tuesday morning.The Tintor family appreciates privacy as they mourn. May Tina rest in peace. No further statements will be made from the family at this time.”
Her older brother Djordje Tintor told reporters his parents will continue to mourn their daughter privately.
“They’re not comfortable with the attention and everything,’’ he said. “They just want to grieve in their way.’’
Charges Pending for Henry Ruggs
Henry Ruggs, the now-disgraced Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver who allegedly crashed his car into Tintor’s, is facing felony DUI and reckless driving charges.
It is also possible (but not confirmed) that Tintor’s family may seek damages from Ruggs in a civil suit.
According to prosecutors, the 22-year-old ex-Raider’s blood alcohol content was 0.161 percent the night of the crash — twice the legal driving limit in Nevada.
A video posted to social media by Ruggs’ girlfriend Rudy Washington also appeared to show the two partying just hours before the deadly accident claimed Tina Tintor’s life.
