Before taking questions after Sunday’s Super Bowl defeat, Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid opened with a statement about the vehicle crash involving his son Britt, who is an outside linebackers coach with the team.
Britt Reid was involved in a three-vehicle collision that injured two young children, including a 5-year-old girl who sustained life-threatening injuries. Britt Reid did not travel with the Chiefs to Tampa Bay for the Super Bowl.
Capt. Dave Jackson, a spokesman for the Kansas City Police Department, confirmed Sunday afternoon that the girl remained hospitalized in critical condition with a brain injury. The crash is under investigation.
“I haven’t had a chance to address you since the accident happened that my son was involved in. My heart goes out to all those who were involved in the accident, in particular the family with the little girl who’s fighting for her life,” Andy Reid said. “Listen, it’s a tough situation. I can’t comment on it any more than what I am here, so the questions that you have, I’m going to have to turn those down at the time. But just from a human standpoint, man, my heart bleeds for everybody involved in that.”
Kansas City police said the crash happened at 9:10 p.m. Thursday, when a truck struck one vehicle and then another on the side of an entrance ramp to get on Interstate 435 near the Chiefs practice facility.
KSHB has reported that truck was driven by Britt Reid. According to the television station, a police officer said they could smell “a moderate odor of alcoholic beverages” and noticed Reid’s eyes were “bloodshot and red.” Reid allegedly told police he’d consumed “two to three drinks,” KSHB reported, citing a search warrant application.
Three days later, the Chiefs lost 31-9 to the Buccaneers on Sunday, a blowout in which they have not suffered in the Patrick Mahomes era.
Asked if his son’s car crash affected the game, Reid replied, “I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you my heart bleeds for the people involved in it. I mentioned that. But we had put the game plan in the week before. The distraction wasn’t a distraction as far as the game plan goes. That was already in — and how we were going to work with it and go forward.
“It’s a loaded question. From a human standpoint, yeah, it’s a tough one. From a football standpoint, two separate things. From a football standpoint, I don’t think that was the problem.”
The Buccaneers are the first defense to hold a Mahomes-led team out of the end zone in a game. They intercepted him twice, a complete reversal of a Week 12 matchup in which he threw for two touchdowns in the opening quarter.
Asked the same question as Reid — whether the car crash with Britt Reid affected the Chiefs’ performance and preparation — Mahomes replied, “It’s hard to kind of put into words. It didn’t take the air out of it. Guys were still ready to go. But I mean it’s a very tragic situation. And you know you want to keep that in the back of your mind, and you give prayers to the families that were involved, especially the child that was involved. I don’t want to say it affected us on the field. They beat us. There’s no excuses on that. But you’re definitely praying for those families.”
The Star’s Anna Spoerre and Cortlynn Stark contributed reporting
