The family attorney for a 5-year-old girl involved in a devastating three-car crash last month is speaking out for the first time.
In an exclusive interview with “Good Morning America,” Tom Porto, the family attorney of the Young family -- whose daughter, Ariel, 5, was injured after former Kansas City Chiefs assistant coach Britt Reid struck their vehicle -- is describing the severity of the wreck that nearly killed the five-year-old girl.
Ariel is still fighting for her life in a Kansas City, Missouri, hospital with a brain injury and unable to speak, according to Porto.
“This wasn’t a fender bender,” Porto told “Good Morning America.” “This was a serious life-altering event.”
Early last month, Reid -- who is also the son of Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid -- hit a car belonging to Ariel’s family. Her mom, aunt and 4-year-old cousin had pulled over to the side of a highway to help a 19-year-old family member whose car had run out of gas. According to police, Reid was driving at highway speeds when his pickup truck struck the first car.
Ariel, who was in the second car, suffered life-threatening injuries, while her 4-year-old cousin, who was also in the car, suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Both were transported to the hospital. The driver of the car Reid hit first and the two adults in the second car sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
“She’s awake, which is a huge development,” Porto said of Ariel. “She likely has permanent brain damage that she will endure for the rest of her life. She’s not walking -- it’s a sad, sad, sad story.”
In exclusive photos obtained by ABC News, Reid’s truck was totaled and the two cars that police say he ran into -- including Ariel’s backseat, in which she was sitting in the second row of her vehicle – was flattened and unrecognizable.
“When you look at those pictures, you wonder how anybody made it out of that car alive,” Porto said.
According to a search warrant application obtained by ABC News, an officer on-scene reported smelling “a moderate odor of alcoholic beverages emanating from [Reid].” Reid told the officer he’d had “2-3 drinks” and was on the prescription drug “Adderall.”
He was injured in the wreck and taken to the hospital with undisclosed injuries and did not join the Chiefs in Tampa for the Super Bowl.
The investigation is ongoing and no charges have yet been filed in the case.
“We’re going to be advocating for the most serious charges and the most serious sentence that Britt could ever receive,” Porto said. “We don’t have the toxicology back, I don’t know what it is going to be. What I do know are the statements that he made to police that night. If you have two or three drinks, and then you get behind the wheel of a car, you are likely over the legal limit.” [Reply]
Originally Posted by Detoxing:
Agreed, though maybe bad timing for a discussion. I had a friend who lost a son in a similar way.
I was always taught that if you're broke down on the side of the freeway, you get out of the car and you wait on the embankment or somewhere off the road. You never stay in the car as these sorts of accidents are more common than you think. And yes, i do practice this as inconvenient as it may be.
Every time i read this heartbreaking story that lesson pops in my head. Those people never should've been sitting in those cars. They were sitting ducks.
Though i'll admit based on what i've seen with the freezing temps and specific location of where this occurred, i understand why they chose to remain in the vehicles.
I was taught the same thing and taught my kids the same. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Detoxing:
Agreed, though maybe bad timing for a discussion. I had a friend who lost a son in a similar way.
I was always taught that if you're broke down on the side of the freeway, you get out of the car and you wait on the embankment or somewhere off the road. You never stay in the car as these sorts of accidents are more common than you think. And yes, i do practice this as inconvenient as it may be.
Every time i read this heartbreaking story that lesson pops in my head. Those people never should've been sitting in those cars. They were sitting ducks.
Though i'll admit based on what i've seen with the freezing temps and specific location of where this occurred, i understand why they chose to remain in the vehicles.
yeah, my apologies, I didnt really clearly state my point.
The point I was trying to make is that even if you have 1 or 2 drinks and feel fine to drive, you can end up doing harm that could have happened with a sober driver.
Difference is, a sober driver (in a scenario such as this) probably wont spend time in jail if guilt/negligence isnt proven.
But good luck trying to defend yourself if you are intoxicated.
Long story short, dont take chances with drinking and driving. [Reply]
Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88:
And he should have never been employed by the Chiefs in the first place.
He should be glad for the Chiefs generous/selective nepotism policy because there is no way he would have been employed with his considerable previous criminal background... even before this incident.
Originally Posted by KChiefs1:
How are you doing Keitzman?
Not a surprise that you are too stupid to differentiate between Kietzman’s bullshit of calling Andy Reid a bad father and my post calling out the Chiefs’ employment policies. [Reply]
Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88:
Not a surprise that you are too stupid to differentiate between Kietzman’s bullshit of calling Andy Reid a bad father and my post calling out the Chiefs’ employment policies.
Yeah -- there's a huge difference between these things.
Marty may have cost himself a Super Bowl because of his nepotism with the Chargers. Nepotism is absolutely a fair thing to call into question because it relates directly with how a coach runs their team. [Reply]
Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88:
Not a surprise that you are too stupid to differentiate between Kietzman’s bullshit of calling Andy Reid a bad father and my post calling out the Chiefs’ employment policies.
Originally Posted by The Franchise:
Hope that piece of shit gets the max sentence.
Originally Posted by htismaqe:
Just glad he's not part of the team anymore. Not going to say anything definitive one way or another until he's prosecuted but it sure sounds like the guy should be in prison after this.
Originally Posted by KChiefs1:
Hope they locked him up & throw away the key.
Sorry Andy your son is a piece of shit.
That’s got to be a horrible burden for a parent to bear. Knowing you raised a child who makes horrible life decisions..... [Reply]
Originally Posted by Deberg_1990:
That’s got to be a horrible burden for a parent to bear. Knowing you raised a child who makes horrible life decisions.....
Just awful. I hope this girl will get better. I've never gotten out of a car even in an accident it on the side of the road and just sat. Definitely doing that now. [Reply]