A local woman who struck and injured a motorcyclist last year while chasing another vehicle and then fled the scene was sentenced to two years in prison Monday after pleading guilty to felony charges.
Brittany Bernice Kidd, 28, who was set to stand trial Nov. 5, pleaded guilty in Garland County Circuit Court to second-degree battery and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in personal injury or death, each punishable by up to six years in prison, and was sentenced to two years in prison on each count, to run concurrently, and ordered to pay $440 in court costs.
According to the probable cause affidavit, on April 28, 2018, around 11:45 a.m., Kidd was driving a vehicle west on West Grand Avenue, approaching Broadway, while chasing another vehicle that was occupied by a woman who had an order of protection against Kidd.
The woman turned off Grand onto Valley Street, but Kidd missed the turn and proceeded to Broadway Street, where she attempted to make a U-turn to go back to Valley. She struck a man, identified as Christopher Cook, who was eastbound on West Grand in the outside lane on a motorcycle.
Kidd's front bumper struck the motorcycle on the left side, also striking Cook's left leg. The impact forced Cook off the roadway and he fell off the motorcycle, suffering a broken left ankle that later required surgery to hold it together with a plate and screws, a broken right knee cap, fractured left wrist, torn rotator cuff, torn biceps and bruised ribs.
Kidd fled the scene without stopping, but was arrested a short time later on misdemeanor counts of careless and prohibited driving and driving on a suspended license and a felony charge of leaving the scene and was later released.
The misdemeanor charges were later withdrawn and warrants for the felony charges of second-degree battery and leaving the scene were issued on Feb. 21. Kidd was taken into custody on Feb. 28 and released on March 7 on a $22,500 bond. She pleaded not guilty to the charges on March 25.
On July 1, Kidd failed to appear for a scheduled hearing so a warrant was issued for her arrest. She was taken into custody again on July 13 and pleaded guilty three days later in Garland County District Court to failure to appear and was sentenced to one year in jail.
Local on 10/29/2019