The case of former Chiefs outside linebackers coach Britt Reid stemming from his February 2021 auto accident appears to be nearing an end. Reid has pleaded guilty to felony driving while intoxicated, as detailed by Margaret Stafford of the Associated Press.
The plea deal came not long before his Sept. 26 hearing was scheduled to take place. The maximum penalty he could have faced was seven years in prison, but as a result of the agreement, prosecutors will seek no more than four years. Reid could also serve a shorter term in prison, with the possibility of parole.
Reid, 37, crashed his truck into two parked vehicles days before Super Bowl LV. The accident caused six injuries, including serious brain trauma to a five-year-old. He was not with the team for the game, and his contract expired roughly one week later. That ended his tenure with the Chiefs, which began in 2013 after his father Andy Reid was hired as head coach.
The younger Reid admitted at the crash scene, and confirmed in court, that he had been drinking on the night of the accident. He has previously served a five-month prison sentence for a road rage incident in 2007 and pleaded guilty to DUI and drug charges the following year.
“I really regret what I did,” Reid said in court. “I made a huge mistake. I apologize to the family. I didn’t mean to hurt anyone.”
The family of Ariel Young, the child most seriously injured in the crash, has reached an agreement with the Chiefs to cover her medical expenses for the rest of her life, notes Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wetzel. They will have the opportunity to speak at Reid’s sentencing hearing, where they will likely echo their opposition to the plea agreement.
The family’s attorney said, “The five victims of this crime are outraged the prosecuting attorney is not seeking the maximum sentence allowable by law. The defendant is a prior offender whose actions caused a five-year-old girl to be in a coma and seriously injured three others.”
Reid is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 28. Given his guilty plea, that date will likely mark the end of this episode.
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