DA: YouTuber from Concord convicted after ‘gambling with human lives’
(KRON) — A 33-year-old Concord man used his YouTube channel to upload dashcam videos and brag about his BMW, which he used for “extreme speeding and reckless driving on Contra Costa freeways,” prosecutors said.
The California Highway Patrol and prosecutors used Scott Kitfield’s YouTube channel against him as evidence of criminal acts.
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.”
Last month, a jury found Kitfield guilty of reckless driving, speeding, and fleeing from police.
The CHP began receiving complaints from the public in 2022 about a gray BMW spotted along various sections of Interstate 680 between Contra Costa and Solano counties. “Kitfield frequently sped on I-680 and other Bay Area freeways, exceeding 120 mph,” the District Attorney’s Office wrote.
“The CHP opened an investigation, which 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, including speeding well over
100 mph on Bay Area freeways, 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,” the DA’s Office wrote.
In July of 2023, investigators from CHP’s Golden Gate Investigative Service Unit used a helicopter and officers on the ground to catch Kitfield in the act, make an arrest, and put an end to his wild driving activities.
A CHP aircraft tracked his car as he drove home from Solano County to Concord. CHP officers saw Kitfield speeding over 110 mph on Interstate 680 as he crossed the Benicia-Martinez bridge, prosecutors said. “He even went faster than 120 mph while racing another car through Martinez,” prosecutors wrote.
A CHP patrol officer chased Kitfield from I-680 to Willow Pass Road until the BMW stopped on a dead end street. Kitfield attempted to evade the officer and a chase ensued through a residential neighborhood, investigators said. He was ultimately apprehended and surrendered to officers.
Investigators said the found additional dashcam videos on his camera and computer.
“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.”
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In April, Kitfield was convicted of fleeing a pursuing officer while driving recklessly, engaging in a motor vehicle exhibition of speed on a highway, and driving without a valid driver’s license.
A judge placed Kitfield on probation with 60 days of jail time and driving restrictions. The BMW driver must allow a tracking device installed on his vehicle by law enforcement. Prosecutors wrote, “Kitfield also acknowledged in writing … that his reckless driving conduct was extremely dangerous to human life, and that if he drives recklessly again and kills someone, he could potentially be charged with murder.”
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