Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more!
Kansas City Chiefs' Ex-Assistant Coach Gets 3 Years For DWI That Left 5-Year-Old In Coma
Britt Reid, the former assistant coach for the Kansas City Chiefs, was sentenced to three years for the DWI that permanently injured 5-year-old Ariel Reid.
Former Kansas City Chiefs assistant coach Britt Reid has been sentenced to three years behind bars for a 2021 drunk driving crash that left a 5-year-old girl in a coma — despite objections from the victim’s family.
Ariel Young, the young girl who suffered a traumatic brain injury in the crash, was in court Tuesday as Reid’s sentence was handed down, according to WDAF.
The former linebackers coach agreed to plead guilty in September to driving while intoxicated causing serious bodily injury after he slammed into two parked cars stopped on an entrance ramp to the interstate last year, injuring five and leaving Young in a coma for 11 days.
He had been driving 84 mph in a 65 mph zone at the time of the crash and was later found to have a blood alcohol content of 0.113, according to court documents obtained by ABC News.
If the case would have gone to trial, Reid would have faced a sentence of up to seven years behind bars. As part of the plea deal, prosecutors had agreed to ask for a maximum sentence of four years in prison.
However, Young’s family had opposed the deal and were upset with the three-year sentence handed down by the judge.
“The victims of this crime are outraged the defendant was not sentenced to the maximum sentenced available by law,” family attorney Tom Porto said in a statement to Oxygen.com. “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.”
In a powerful victim impact statement written by the Young’s mother, Felicia Miller — which was provided to Oxygen.com — Miller spoke about the harrowing moment when she saw headlights barreling toward the parked cars after she had stopped to try to help a family member having car trouble.
“We braced for the impact. And then we awoke into chaos,” she said. “Where were our babies?”
While one of the children was unconscious with a broken nose, Miller said Young “was stiff” and “would not wake up.”
She was rushed to a local hospital where she remained in a coma for 11 days, CBS Sports reports.
“Where was he while we were in hell? Not in jail,” Miller said.
After waking up, Miller said her young daughter had to re-learn to walk, talk and eat. She still struggles with the effects of his injuries today.
“Ariel drags her right foot when she walks. Next month we’re going to see a doctor about leg braces. She has terrible balance. She takes longer to process information than her peers. She will have to be in special ed. She wears thick glasses that she never wore before. This is our life,” Miller said.
She added that Young suffers from debilitating motion sickness and will never be able to play sports.
RELATED: Georgia High School Football Star Is Killed In Parking Lot During Date With Girlfriend
“She will deal with the effects of his actions every day for the rest of her life. We will deal with her,” she said. “She’s here today. She’s being herself — Ariel strong. That’s my baby. She’s a fighter.”
Reid’s attorneys had argued for probation and house arrest, a request that Miller addressed directly in her comments.
“On what planet does this conduct deserve probation?” she asked. “Can people really get drunk and give a five-year-old a brain injury and think they should get probation?”
Reid also addressed the court Tuesday to apologize to Young and her family, saying he had a daughter of his own the same age as Young.
Reid said his family is “in your corner” and said they pray for Young every night.
“I understand where Ms. Miller is coming from,” he said, according to The Associated Press. “I think I would feel the same way.”
Reid’s attorney J.R. Hobbs said in a statement to Oxygen.com after the sentencing that Reid regretted his actions the night of the crash.
“Britt Reid respects the Court’s decision and appreciates the time and attention given to this matter,” Hobbs said. “He sincerely regrets and accepts responsibility for his conduct and hopes and prays for A.Y.’s continued recovery.”
Reid, who is the son of Chief’s head coach Andy Reid, previously served prison time after pleaded guilty in 2007 to flashing a gun at another driver in a road rage incident. He also pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of a controlled substance while behind bars in another incident, according to ABC News.
Young’s family has reached a deal with the Kansas City Chiefs to help provide financial support and care for her long-term medical needs, according to WDAF.
