Former Kansas City Chiefs assistant coach Britt Reid has been charged with driving while intoxicated following an investigation into the February crash that severely injured a 5-year-old girl, a county prosecutor announced Monday.
According to documents released by the office of Jackson County (Mo.) prosecutor Jean Peters Baker, Reid had a serum blood alcohol concentration of .113 roughly two hours after the Feb. 4 crash, in which his Dodge Ram pickup truck hit two sedans that had stopped on the side of the road.
A police investigation determined that Reid's truck was traveling 83.9 mph about two seconds before the initial impact. The speed limit on that stretch of road is 65 mph.
Authorities allege that Reid was driving under the influence of alcohol and "acted with criminal negligence by driving at an excessive rate of speed, failing to be aware of a disabled vehicle, striking it, and as a result caused serious physical injury" to 5-year-old Ariel Young, according to the charging documents.
The DWI charge is a class D felony in Missouri that is punishable by jail time, a fine or both. The maximum length of imprisonment for the charge is seven years.
Reid, who is the son of Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, was due to surrender himself to authorities Monday, according to the county prosecutor's office.
Attempts to reach Reid's attorney were not immediately successful Monday.
According to the charging documents, Reid suffered a blunt force trauma injury to his groin in the collision and required emergency surgery. At least two other people sustained serious injuries, including Young, who suffered a severe traumatic brain injury, skull fracture and brain contusions, among other injuries.
Tom Porto, an attorney who is representing Young's family, told USA TODAY Sports in a statement that he believes the charge against Reid is "absolutely appropriate," saying that Young "will have to endure the consequences of this crash for the rest of her life."
"Ariel was released to home on Friday April 2," Porto wrote in an email. "The hope is that her pediatric brain injury will heal better in a familiar setting. As of right now, she still cannot walk or talk and depends on a feeding tube for basic nutrition."
Tiffany Verhulst, Young’s cousin who organized a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for her medical bills, told USA TODAY Sports on Monday that the family was glad Reid was "finally being charged" but doesn’t believe the charges "are fair or harsh enough."
"It’s been incredibly hard knowing he’s out there every day living his normal life and Ariel’s life is completely changed," Verhulst said. "Our whole family’s life is changed due to him making the decision to drink and drive. We hope this brings her some justice."
The crash occurred after 9 p.m. local time on Feb. 4, just a few days before the Chiefs were set to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl 55.
According to charging documents, sisters Felicia Miller and Angela Saenz and their two children had gone out that night to help Miller's cousin, Alfredo Vasquez, who believed his car had ran out of gas during his drive home from work. Miller and company pulled their Chevrolet Traverse over on the side of Interstate 435, just in front of Vasquez's Chevrolet Impala.
Reid, 35, told police he had left work and was merging onto the highway when his truck hit the Impala. He also struck the Traverse. He said he did not see the Impala because its lights were not turned on, according to the charging documents. Vasquez told police he had turned on his hazard lights but knew he had a weak battery.
Reid called 911 at roughly 9:33 p.m., according to the charging documents. An officer on the scene reported that his eyes were bloodshot and red, and that he detected "an odor of intoxicants."
The Chiefs later announced that Reid, who was coaching the team's linebackers at the time, would not travel to Tampa Bay for the Super Bowl. He parted ways with the team earlier this year, following the expiration of his contract.
The Chiefs said in a statement that they remain "steadfast in our concern for all who have been impacted by this tragic accident."
"Our prayers are focused on Ariel’s continued healing and recovery," the team said Monday. "The Chiefs are regularly in contact with the family’s designated representative during this challenging time."
Baker, the county prosecutor, said in a news release that her office "will vigorously pursue these charges" and that Reid had not received any favorable treatment. She said recent changes to DWI statutes in the state had limited the charges that her office could pursue.
Reid has previously been cited by law enforcement for speeding or careless driving on at least three occasions, including in Pennsylvania in 2011 and twice in Missouri. He also pled guilty to three charges stemming from an August 2007 incident in the parking lot of a sporting goods store, including driving under the influence of a controlled substance.
Contributing: Jori Epstein
Contact Tom Schad at [email protected] or on Twitter @Tom_Schad.
