Britt Reid sentenced to 3 years in prison for DWI crash that injured 5-year-old girl
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Former Chiefs assistant coach Britt Reid was sentenced Tuesday afternoon to three years in prison for an alcohol-impaired crash last year that left a five-year-old girl with traumatic brain injuries.
It was a long afternoon in court for the little girl seriously injured in a drunk driving crash in February involving former Chiefs assistant coach Britt Reid. So long that Ariel Young fell asleep in the courtroom. But in the end, Reid was sentenced to three years in prison.
The sentencing was scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday but was delayed for hours while the judge reviewed the case. The court also heard a victim impact statement from Ariel’s mother, Felicia Miller, read by the prosecutor. In it, she explained how Ariela’s life is forever changed by that night. She now wears glasses, may need leg braces and is in special education classes because she takes longer to process information.
“On the cold night of February 4, 2021 – one of us was on the side of the road, broken down, trying to get to a minimum-wage job while Britt Reid was at work, preparing to go to the Super Bowl,” wrote Miller. “This is not a game. This is not a Chief’s game. This is our life.”
In announcing his decision, the judge cited that Reid has caused “so much harm to Ariel and her family.”
The former assistant coach pleaded guilty Sept. 12 to driving while intoxicated while causing serious injury. Five-year-old Ariel Young suffered critical brain injuries in the incident, and a four-year-old suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Tom Porto, the attorney for Ariel Young’s family, released the following statement:
“The victims of this crime are outraged the Defendant was not sentenced to the maximum sentence allowable by law. No amount of prison time will ever be enough to punish the Defendant for the pain and suffering he caused this family and the ongoing difficulties that Ariel will continue to endure for the rest of her life. She will endure. She will strive and she will thrive. She is Ariel strong.”
The night of the crash, on Feb. 4, 2021, a Chevrolet Impala ran out of gas near I-435 and Stadium Drive. The driver called a relative, who pulled up to the scene to help. That’s when a Ram pickup driven by Reid struck both vehicles while traveling more than 80 miles per hour, injuring the two young children in the process.
Following the crash, an officer reported that Reid smelled of alcohol and his eyes were bloodshot. When asked if he had been drinking, the officer said Reid told him he had 2-3 drinks, and that he was on Adderall. According to court records, the officer conducted several sobriety tests and Reid showed signs of impairment.
Reid’s defense attorneys, in their sentencing memorandum, described the former Chiefs coach as a husband, father of three and continuing to have a close relationship with his parents. It goes on to shed light on Reid’s character: his “commitment to family, his willingness to help others, and the sincere remorse he has for his conduct and the resulting tragedy that affected the lives of many, but particularly [Ariel Young].”
Reid’s defense team petitioned for a probation sentence that would keep him out of jail.
Prosecutors argued that while Reid may not have driven that Feb. 4 night with the intent of injuring someone, he chose to ignore the potential consequences of his actions.
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