LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — At a Spring Valley intersection on Wednesday night, candles and balloons were on display to honor 23-year-old Tina Tintor.
Bojana Filipovic placed and lit several candles to remember her friend.
“We met when we were 5 years old in the same neighborhood she lives in now. That’s where she was heading,” Filipovic said near Rainbow Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue.
They both are Serbian immigrants. It’s something that Filipovic said bonded them immediately and turned into a friendship going on 20 years.
Monday night into Tuesday morning, Filipovic said the pair was out late taking Tintor’s dog Maxi for a walk, like they often do.
“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 was just about to get her citizenship and everything was going swell.”
At a Spring Valley intersection on Wednesday night, candles and balloons were on display to honor 23-year-old Tina Tintor.
Tintor dropped her friend off at home and was about a mile from her house when police said Henry Ruggs III sped down Rainbow Boulevard at 156 mph in his Corvette. The car slammed into Tintor’s Toyota Rav4 and sent both cars more than 500 feet down the road.
The Rav4 caught fire with Tintor and her dog Maxi still inside. Neither survived.
“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,’” Filipovic recalled.
The 23-year-old, who is a Durango High School graduate, was described by her friend as brilliant, intelligent and extremely charismatic. Filipovic said she planned to go into computer programing.
“She’d give you a shoulder to lean on, and she’ll always slap sense into you if you do something wrong,” Filipovic said with a laugh. “I love you very much. I wish I got to say goodbye, and I’ll see you in the next life.”
The president of Filipovic’s church released a statement saying their community was saddened and sending condolences to her family.
“Our small Serbian community here in Las Vegas has lost young member and we are all extremely saddened by this terrible accident. I didn’t know Tina Tintor personally, but did see her at our church, always polite and respectful, just like rest of her relatives and friends. We understand that this is very difficult time for her family and whole community, we want to respect that and at this time we cannot share more information. Our deepest condolences to her family. May God rest her beautiful soul in peace!” said Goran Glavas, president of St. Simeon Serbian Orthodox Church.
Tintor’s family retained the legal services of Naqvi Injury Law.
“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. 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.”
Tintor’s family created a GoFundMe for her funeral expenses. Those interested in donating can visit gofundme.com/f/support-for-tina-tintor-max.
https://www.fox5vegas.com/news/woman-killed-in-crash-involving-ex-raiders-player-remembered-as-smart-charismatic/article_5636e6ca-3d32-11ec-8516-4be4187ab360.html
