Concord YouTuber found guilty of reckless driving, speeding, and fleeing Police
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (May 13, 2024) — On April 3, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office won the conviction of a Concord man for multiple incidents of extreme speeding and reckless driving on Contra Costa freeways. The drivers antics culminated with a police pursuit through a residential area in Concord.
In late spring of 2022, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) received public complaints about a gray BMW speeding and driving recklessly. The reports came from Interstate 680 between Contra Costa and Solano counties. The CHP opened an investigation. This led officers to a YouTube channel belonging to 33-year-old Scott Kitfield.
The channel contained numerous dashcam videos posted by Kitfield. These videos documented his dangerous driving behavior. Videos showed speeding well over 100 mph on Bay Area freeways. They also depicted racing other cars and weaving through traffic at high speeds while endangering nearby commuters. Kitfield’s comments on the channel further confirmed his disregard for safety by boasting about his reckless actions.
CHP investigators identified Kitfield as the reckless driver in the BMW and YouTube videos. The investigation also confirmed Kitfield frequently sped on I-680 and other Bay Area freeways, exceeding 120 mph.
Making the arrest
On July 14, 2023, investigators from CHP’s Golden Gate Investigative Service Unit (ISU) planned an operation to arrest Kitfield and stop his reckless driving. A CHP aircraft tracked his car as he drove home from Solano County to Concord in the afternoon. CHP officers saw Kitfield speeding over 110 mph on Interstate 680 as he crossed the Benicia-Martinez bridge. He even went faster than 120 mph while racing another car through Martinez.
Just after passing a CHP patrol vehicle, Kitfield swerved abruptly across the freeway and exited at Willow Pass Road and drove into a residential area. A CHP officer in a marked patrol car followed him and tried to pull him over as he turned around at a dead end. Instead of stopping, Kitfield led the CHP officers on a chase before finally stopping his car and surrendering. Officers from the Solano County Sheriff’s Office also helped with the arrest.
ISU personnel recovered Kitfield’s computer and the dash camera he used to create videos for his YouTube channel. The devices contained several more videos of him driving recklessly on freeways in Contra Costa and other Bay Area counties.
‘Not tolerated’
“This type of careless and reckless behavior on California’s roadways will not be tolerated,” said CHP Golden Gate Division Chief Don Goodbrand. “The California Highway Patrol will use every resource available to us to identify and arrest drivers who chose to endanger the wellbeing of the motoring public. We are grateful for the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office commitment and dedication in the prosecution of this case, and their ongoing support as we both work to make the state’s roadways safe for everyone.”
CHP ISU personnel submitted their reports and evidence to prosecutors in the District Attorney’s Office’s Special Operations Division. Officials charged Kitfield with offenses arising from July 14, 2023, as well as from multiple prior incidents of reckless driving.
On April 3, 2024, Kitfield was convicted of two criminal charges arising from his conduct on July 14th. One was a violation of Vehicle Code section 2800.2, Fleeing a Pursuing Peace Officer’s Motor Vehicle While Driving Recklessly. The other was for violating section 23109(c), Engaging in a Motor Vehicle Exhibition of Speed on a Highway. Kitfield was also convicted of charges arising from June 25th and June 26th speeding incidents: a violation of Vehicle Code section 23103(a), Reckless Driving on A Highway, and a violation of section 12500(a), Driving a Motor Vehicle Without a Valid Driver’s License.
‘Gambling with human lives’
Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton said, “This is a case where the defendant was gambling with human lives. Had the consequences of his actions led to a deadly crash, it would have devastated the lives of the victim’s families. We are grateful to the CHP for their work in holding the defendant accountable and their enforcement efforts that help to protect everyone on the road.”
The court placed Kitfield on probation with jail time (60 days) and driving restrictions. He can only drive his own registered car, with a valid license and vehicle insurance. Moreover, Kitfield must allow a tracking device installed on his vehicle by law enforcement. Kitfield also acknowledged in writing — and was verbally admonished by the judge — that his reckless driving conduct was extremely dangerous to human life. And also that if he drives recklessly again and kills someone, he could potentially receive a charged for murder.