With legal case behind him, Chiefs’ Rice should talk to teens about reckless driving | Opinion
Rashee Rice is one fortunate young man.
Now that the criminal case against the Kansas City Chiefs player has concluded, I would like to see Rice use this second chance opportunity to help young people avoid a situation similar to his — or worse.
I also implore the Chiefs organization to put its collective foot down and take a zero-tolerance stance against anymore tomfoolery from the third-year wide receiver.
This week, Rice, 25, pleaded guilty to two third-degree felonies — collision involving serious bodily injury and racing on a highway causing serious bodily injury — according to a news release from the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office.
The plea stems from a high-speed wreck Rice caused last spring on a Texas freeway. As part of a deal with prosecutors there, Rice was sentenced to 30 days in jail and placed on deferred probation for five years, meaning Rice’s criminal record in this case could be wiped clean if he stays out of legal trouble during that time.
Let’s hope Rice does just that. But if he fails to uphold any condition of his probation, the Chiefs must cut ties with the talented player.
On another note relative to this situation: The Star’s Jesse Newell reported this week that Rice has failed to make a payment on a $1 million settlement he reached with one of the people injured in the high-speed collision.
Safe driving PSA
In addition to settling up on civil claims made against him, I’d also like to see Rice commit to a partnership with local and state law enforcement officials to remind the public about the dangers of reckless driving. A very public service awareness campaign about safe driving aimed at teens could go a long way toward repairing Rice’s reputation here and elsewhere.
To his credit, Rice took a step in that direction after his guilty plea. But Rice’s alleged failure to pay one of his victims as promised isn’t all that encouraging.
In a statement released on Rice’s behalf by his Texas-based attorney Royce West, the Chiefs player expressed remorse for his actions in Dallas.
“Last March, I was involved in a high-speed accident in Dallas,” Rice said. Personally, I’d described the incident as more of a potentially deadly wreck but contrition has to start somewhere.
“There have been a lot of sleepless nights thinking about the damages that my actions caused, and I will continue working within my means to make sure that everyone impacted will be made whole,” the statement continued. “I urge everyone to mind the speed limit, drive safe and drive smart.”
I’d consider Rice blessed in this situation — not that spending 30 days behind bars and landing on probation for five years is ideal, but things could have ended much worse for him and everyone involved.
At least four people were reportedly injured in the multi-vehicle collision, according to news outlets in Dallas. That Rice didn’t seriously injure or kill anyone or himself is truly a miracle — before he wrecked, the Lamborghini SUV Rice drove was traveling 119 mph, according to reports.
Pay the victims
As part of the plea agreement, Rice was required to pay more than $115,000 in out-of-pocket medical expenses for all of the injured victims, according to the Dallas County DA’s news release. He must complete 60 hours of community service as well.
I’d like to see Rice fulfill that requirement by speaking to young people in Kansas City and Dallas about the importance of driver’s safety. According to 2023 data from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motor vehicle crashes were the leading cause of unintentional death in the U.S. for 15- to 24-year-olds.
In 2021, 2,116 drivers ages 15 to 20 were killed in fatal crashes, according to the NHTSA. Another 203,256 in that age group were injured in motor vehicle crashes, the agency reported.
The same year, drivers under 21 made up 5.1% of licensed drivers in this country, yet accounted for 8.5% of total drivers in fatal wrecks and 12.6 percent of drivers in all crashes, according to the NHTSA.
As you can see, young drivers are disproportionately killed at a higher rate than adult drivers.
Rice should use this opportunity to right his wrongs by mentoring young people to become better drivers.
