Witnesses have described how the victim of Henry Ruggs' tragic high-speed crash screamed for help, as others tried to rescue both her and her dog in vain.
Tina Tintor, 23, died on Tuesday morning after Ruggs, 22, allegedly crashed into the back of her SUV at a speed of around 156mph while drink-driving.
The NFL wide receiver, who was in his second season with the Las Vegas Raiders but has now been released, made an appearance in court in a wheelchair on Wednesday, where he was formerly charged with DUI causing death and reckless driving.
He will face more than 20 years in prison if found guilty.
One of the first witnesses on the scene after Tuesday's horror-crash was Tony Rodriguez, who told KTNV about how he, and others, desperately tried to save Tintor as her 2013 Toyota Rav4 became engulfed by flames.
"I thought for sure we were going to be able to do something. The fire was so small at the time," said Rodriguez.
"It just grew fast. Really fast. There was one person with a fire extinguisher, a county worker, that didn’t work. It wasn’t enough. It was just so fast."
Disturbingly, Rodriguez and fellow witnesses had to endure watching Tinter fade as she, and her dog, remained trapped inside.
Tintor was later pronounced dead at the scene, with golden retriever Maxi having died next to her, and Rodriguez also offered an emotional apology to the youngster's family.
"I’m sorry. I tried everything I could. My friend as well. I’m sorry," he said.
"I haven’t slept since the accident. It’s horrific. It’s sad that somebody could be going that fast and cause that accident like that. I’m sorry."
Police said Ruggs had driven down Rainbow Boulevard in his Chevrolet Corvette and the collision sent both cars more than 500 feet down the road.
Despite reportedly refusing a sobriety test at the scene, Ruggs allegedly later produced a blood-alcohol level of .161 in hospital, more than twice the legal limit in Nevada.
His girlfriend Rudy Washington, 22, was also in the car and was rushed to the hospital before undergoing surgery for an arm injury on Tuesday.
