Oklahoma man charged with manslaughter in Dennis Byrd death

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Wednesday, October 4, 2017

CLAREMORE, Okla. -- An Oklahoma man has been charged with manslaughter almost a year after a collision killed former NFL player Dennis Byrd.

Rogers County court records indicate the charge was filed Wednesday against 18-year-old Zachary Reed of Claremore. The records show a warrant was issued for Reed's arrest but don't indicate whether he is represented by an attorney.

Byrd was 50 when he died Oct. 15 after a two-vehicle crash north of Claremore, a Tulsa suburb. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol said at the time that a northbound vehicle driven by Reed veered into the oncoming lane and struck a vehicle driven by Byrd.

Byrd played for the University of Tulsa and later was a defensive lineman for the New York Jets. A neck injury ended his career in 1992.