KANSAS CITY, Mo. — We’re learning more about how the investigation in a serious injury crash involving Chiefs linebackers coach Britt Reid is moving forward. We also know more about the victims.
A series of small devices are a big part of how Kansas City Police fit the jigsaw pieces of a major crash puzzle together.
“We’re going to put highest emphasis on obtaining evidence we need so we can arrive at the correct investigative conclusion,” said Sgt. Bill Mahoney, KCPD accident investigator.
GPS and what’s called a total station help investigators take precise measurements at the scene. The devices mark near exact spots of debris, skid marks and other evidence. Together, it is all critical information to create a crash forensic map.
“We’re using those scientific principles to determine how fast cars were going and what happened and matching that with the vehicle dynamics,” said Ofc. Bill Johnson, KCPD crash reconstruction and accident investigator.
It’s also vital to talk with witnesses and go through any available video footage, including from dash and body cams.
New records show KCPD is also going through Britt Reid’s cell phone. In a search warrant, investigators indicate five-year-old Ariel Young’s mother was frantic following the crash and couldn’t find her phone. She pleaded with Reid to call 911. Detectives want to find out if Reid was on the phone at all in the moments before or during impact.
“It is our duty and our responsibility to present a clean case file to the prosecutor and we want justice for this little girl and we want the criminal justice system to work properly,” said KCPD Capt. David Jackson.
According to the family’s GoFundMe, Ariel remains in critical condition. Her four-year-old cousin Julianna, who was sitting beside her, is recovering from a concussion and broken nose. The family continues to express their appreciation for the community’s overwhelming prayers and support.
Police say in a typical major crash it takes 30 to 60 days to finish putting the case file together and send it to prosecutors. Then prosecutors can take weeks more to decide on charges. Among that evidence, we know police drew blood to analyze if Britt Reid was impaired by alcohol and prescription meds at the time of the crash.