FeliciaMillerappearedincourtonTuesdayindowntownKansasCitytodescribethe“hell”sheandherfamily,mostnotablyher6-year-olddaughterArielYoung,havebeenthroughsinceformerKansasCityChiefsassistantcoachBrittReiddrovedrunkintotheirparkedcar21monthsago.
Shewantedtotellofherdaughter’stwoweeksinacoma,thelong,uncertainrehab,andthelingeringeffectsthathaveleftherwitheverythingfromphysicalimpairmenttospecialeducation.
ShealsowantedtoaskCircuitJudgeCharlesH.McKenzietosentenceReidtomorethanthefouryearsinprisonrecommendedbyprosecutorsaspartofapleadealfordrivingwhileintoxicated.
Millercalledtheagreementa“outrage”anddemandedthemaximumseven-yearsentence.
Sheevenbroughtherdaughter,whowasdressedina“ArielStrong”sweatshirt.
“Heshouldservethemaximumamountoftimeinprison,”Millerpleaded.
Instead,McKenzielistenedtoReid’sdefenceteam’sargumentsandsentencedReid,thesonofChiefslegendAndyReid,tothreeyearsinprison,onelessthanwhatprosecutorssought.
Accordingtoatleastonelocaldefenceattorney,Reidcouldservelessthanayearbeforebeingparoledbecausethechargesagainsthimarenotclassifiedas“dangerousfelonies,”forwhichaconvictedpersonmustserve85percentoftheirsentence.
“Ultimately,onlytheMissouriDepartmentofCorrectionswillbeabletodeterminehowmuchofthethree-yearsentencehewillserve,butIwouldn’tbesurprisedifheisoutinlessthanayear,”saidChrisScott,aformerlocalprosecutorturneddefenceattorneywhowasnotinvolvedinthiscase.
Itbringsthelegalproceedingstoabitterendforthevictims,aworking-classKansasCityfamilywhobelieveReidwasgivenpreferentialtreatmentthroughouttheprocessbecauseofhisandhisfamily’sfootballfameandfortune.
“Thevictimsofthiscrimeareoutragedthatthedefendantwasnotsentencedtothemaximumallowedbylaw,”saidTomPorto,avictim’slawyer.
ReidadmittedtogettingdrunkattheteamfacilityonFebruary4,2021,beforeattemptingtodrivehomewithabloodalcoholconcentrationof.113.
Hemadeitlessthanahalfmilebeforeslammingintotwovehiclesparkedonthesideofaninterstateon-rampat84mph.
Onewashavingcartrouble.
Theothercametohelp.
Sixpeoplewereinjured,includingReid.
Themostseriouslyinjuredwasthen-5-year-oldAriel,whowillbeaffectedfortherestofherlife.
MillerdescribedReidasprivileged,outoftouch,andunsympatheticinablisteringvictimimpactstatement.
Hewasarepeatoffender,shesaid,withconvictionsforroadrage,DUI,anddrugchargesinmultipleincidentsinPennsylvania,wherehisfathercoachedthePhiladelphiaEaglesatthetime.
Shealsomadefunofhisrequestsforprobation.
“BrittReidhurtusnearly21monthsago,”Millersaid.
“Heapologisedforthefirsttimelastmonth…
Tobeclear,yourapologyhasbeenrejected.
“Heapologisedtousatthesametimeheapologisedto‘ChiefsKingdom,'”Millersaid,referringtoChiefssupporters.
“It’snotagame.
ThisisnotagamefortheChiefs.
Thisisourexistence.”
MillerdescribedforthefirsttimepubliclythehorrorsofseeingReid’sDodgeRamtruckswervetowardhervehicle,whichwastheretohelparelative.
Shewasknockedoutbytheimpact,onlytoawakeninapanicaboutthefateoftwochildreninthenow-collapsedbackseat.
“Weawoketocompletechaos.
‘Wherehadourbabiesgone?’
WherehadJuliannagone?
‘WherehadArielgone?'”
Millerremembered.
“Juliana,achild,wasknockedunconscious.
Hernosewasbroken.
Arieldidn’tappeartobeherself.
Shewastense.
Shewasdeafeninglysilent.
Sherefusedtowakeup.
“Andshedidn’tcometo.
Forthenexttwoweeks.”
Reid,37,wasfiredfromhispositionascoachoftheChiefs’outsidelinebackersandhiscontractwasnotrenewed.
TheteamwentontolosetheSuperBowltoTampaBayafewdayslater.
Arieleventuallyawokefromhiscoma,butthelong-termextentofhisinjuriesbecameclear.
“Arieldidn’tgohomewhenshewokeup,”Millerexplained.
“Beforeweleftthehospital,shetriedtorelearnhowtowalk,talk,andeat.
Butshecouldn’tdoit.
Shecouldn’trunaroundtheyardlikethesweet,innocentArielweremembered.
“WewerereleasedfromthehospitalandreturnedtooursmallhomenearthehighwaywhereBrittReidhadinjuredus.
Arielwaslyingonacouchwithafeedingtubeinherstomach.
I’dpackherintomycaranddrivehertotherapy.
Shewasunabletowalk.
Shesobbedinherwheelchair.
SoIcarriedmy5-year-oldaroundlikeanewborn.
“Duetohernewmotionsickness,shewouldvomitinthecaraswedrovetotherapy.
Sheisstillexperiencingmotionsickness.
BrittReidaccomplishedthis.
Hedesiresprobation?
“…Today,Arielwalkswithherrightfootdragging,”Millerexplained.
“We’regoingtoseeadoctoraboutlegbracesnextmonth.
Shehaspoorbalance.
Sheprocessesinformationmoreslowlythanherpeers.
Shewillhavetoattendspecialeducation.
Sheiswearingthickglasses,whichshehasneverwornbefore.
“Thisisourexistence.”
AccordingtofamilyattorneyTomPortoofthePophamLawFirm,thefamilyreachedanunspecifiedagreementwiththeChiefslastyearthatcoversAriel’smedicalcareandprovides“long-termfinancialstability.”
BrittReidadmittedpubliclyforthefirsttimedrinkingattheChiefs’facilityduringlastmonth’spleaagreementhearing.
BoththeteamandtheNFLinitiallystatedthattheywouldinvestigatetheincident,butneitherwillcommentonwhat,ifanything,wasdiscovered.
Questionsremain,suchaswhetherReidwasdrinkingaloneorwithothers,whetherhewasdrinkinginsecretoropenly,whetheranyoneknewhewasdrunkwhenheleftthefacility,andwhetheranyonekeptaneyeonanat-riskemployee.
Reidhasstruggledwithsubstanceabuseandlegalissuesforthemajorityofhisadultlife.
HewouldnothavebeenhiredforacovetedNFLassistantcoachingpositionwiththatbackgroundandhisthinrésuméifithadn’tbeenfornepotism.
AndyReidisoneofthemostsuccessfulcoachesinNFLhistory,havingledtheChiefstotheirfirstSuperBowltitlein50yearsinFebruaryof2020.
MillerstatedthatBrittReid’snumerousadvantagesexacerbatethesituation.
“Hehadeverychanceinlife,”Millersaid.
“Insteadoftakingadvantageoftheopportunitiesthatwerepresentedtohim,BrittReidharmedus.”
BrittReidhasforeveralteredAriel’slife.
HerlifewillbeconsumedbytheconsequencesofBrittReid’sactions.
“Shewillneverparticipateinsports,”Milleradded.
“Sports,fromwhichhisfamilyhasmadealiving.”
She’llneverdosomethinglikethat.
Thatwastakenawayfromher.
Shewilllivewiththeconsequencesofhisactionseverydayofherlife.”
Finally,herwordsrangoutinthatKansasCitycourtroom,buttonoavail.
BrittReidwassentencedtothreeyearsinprison.
ArielYoungandherfamilywillbeaffectedfortherestoftheirlives.
