KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Former Kansas City Chiefs assistant coach Britt Reid was sentenced to three years in prison Tuesday as part of a plea agreement in a 2021 DWI charge that left a 5-year-old girl seriously injured.
Jackson County Judge Charles McKenzie sentenced Reid during a hearing Tuesday, after which Reid was taken into custody.
In a court filing last month, attorneys representing the state and Reid made their case for sentencing. Prosecutors were hoping Reid would be sentenced to four years in prison. Reid’s attorneys were hopeful the judge would sentence him to probation with the option of house arrest.
Reid entered into the plea agreement earlier this fall, in which he apologized for his role in the crash that severely injured Ariel Young.
The crash happened on Feb. 4, 2021, when Reid's pickup truck collided with two vehicles on the on ramp from Stadium Drive to Interstate 435.
“The victims of this crime are outraged the defendant was not sentenced to the maximum sentence allowable by law,” Tom Porto, the attorney representing Young’s family, said in a statement to KSHB 41. “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.”
In a sentencing memorandum filed by the Jackson County prosecutor's office, the document states Reid was "unlawfully operating his vehicle at speeds over 80 mph in a 65 mph zone at the time of the crash."
"Additionally, evidence will show the defendant was intoxicated while operating his vehicle at that speed," according to the sentencing memorandum.
Ariel suffered a severe brain injury when Reid's truck slammed into a car she was in on the ramp to the interstate.
The Chiefs agreed to pay for a comprehensive care plan "that provides Ariel with world-class medical care and long-term financial stability," according to the Young family attorney.
The prosecutor's sentencing memorandum also points out this was not Reid's first encounter with law enforcement.
He pleaded guilty to carrying a firearm without a license in a January 2007 road rage incident and in August 2007, was charged with DUI while his other case was still pending, according to the sentencing memorandum.
Reid pleaded guilty in that case.
Reid's defense attorney J.R. Hobbs, argues in the defendant's sentencing memorandum Reid be given a "probationary or non-custodial sentence with whatever conditions the Court deems appropriate, including house arrest."
The defense's sentencing memorandum includes excerpts from letters about Mr. Reid's character.
"Britt loves his family, wife and children and is devoted to his mom and dad," according to the sentencing memorandum. " What impresses me most about Britt is his willingness to share the failures, short comings, addictions tragedies in his life with others."
Reid voluntarily checked into a 90-day in-patient treatment facility after the crash and completed the program, according to the defense's sentencing memorandum.
He has not violated any of his post-treatment requirements and recommendations, the memorandum states.
"Stated simply, the defendant's requested sentence for a probationary term with home confinement under his particular circumstances which did not result in death is well within the Court's discretion," according to the defense's memorandum.
Prosecutors argue in their memorandum that "while he may not have gotten behind the wheel with the purpose of injuring someone, he made a choice to ignore the potential consequences of his actions. A four-year sentence in the Missouri Department of Adult Institution will emphasize this fact to the defendant."
Reid released a statement after the judge's ruling.
"Britt Reid respects the Court's decision and appreciates the time and attention to this matter," the statement read. "He sincerely regrets and accepts responsibility for his conduct and hopes and prays for A.Y.'s continued recovery."
—
For jurisdictions that utilize the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline, anonymous tips can be made by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com.
Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the KSHB 41 News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the KSHB 41 News Mug Shot Policy.
