Missouri Unlicensed Driver Caused Crash That Critically Injured Tennessee Star Teen Volleyball Player
A teen from Tennessee high school visiting St. Louis, Missouri for a volleyball game lost both of her legs after a driver who did not have a license rammed through an intersection, hitting another car and the girl, according to local reports and the teen's volleyball organization.
Citizens for a Greater Downtown St. Louis shared surveillance footage of the car crash, which shows a speeding vehicle rolling over through the intersection with a booming sound of an impact in the background.
Fox News reported that the incident happened on 11th Street near the intersection with St. Charles Street at around 9 p.m. on Saturday.
Suspect Daniel Riley, 21, was being held at the St. Louis City Justice Center on five charges, including driving without a license and felony assault. The Mid-Tennessee Volleyball Club identified the 16-year-old victim as Janae Edmondson.
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What Happened During the Car Crash That Took the Tennessee Star Teen Volleyball Player's Legs?
According to New York Post, Janae Edmondson was walking back to her hotel with her parents after finishing the first day of her volleyball tournament in St. Louis, Missouri, when the unlicensed driver rammed toward her.
"A driver drove through a yield sign and struck a car. That car struck Janae," the teen's team, Mid-Tennessee Volleyball Club, said on Facebook.
Janae reportedly suffered life-threatening wounds and needed immediate medical attention. Sadly, Mid-Tennessee Volleyball Club's Assistant Director Jeff Wismer told KMOV4 that both of the teen athlete's legs had to be amputated.
"She has lost both limbs below her waist, so for us, how do you find words to explain our sorrow? We really can't," Wismer noted.
"The road in front of Janae is tough. There's going to be a lot of challenges ahead, financial challenges, emotional challenges that we're hoping that the community can embrace this family as she goes through this unique time in her life that you can never imagine. This is an unthinkable situation that she has to encounter right now," he added.
As seen in the video released by Citizens for a Greater Downtown St. Louis, an organization dedicated to pedestrian safety, a grey Audi crashed through a yield sign at an intersection before crashing into another car.
The crash reportedly sent the second vehicle airborne, and it hit Janae as it flipped and rolled onto its roof before it flew down the street.
Unlicensed Driver in Missouri Allegedly Violated GPS Monitoring Over 40 Times
Daniel Riley was in court to go to trial for armed robbery last July. The suspect's alleged victim, witnesses, and the defense were reportedly present. The robbery happened in 2020.
But according to court documents, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner's Office was not ready. So, Gardner's staff dismissed and refiled the charges the same day, KSDK reported.
Riley was on house arrest with a GPS bracelet until July 18, 2022. He was supposed to stay that way until his next day in court. However, he reportedly violated the terms of his GPS monitoring system more than 40 times after July 18 last year, the most recent of which occurred on February 13.
Police then said Riley struck a car that pinned Janae between another vehicle five days later. According to Mid-Tennessee Volleyball Club, the star teen volleyball player was already in stable condition.
A GoFundMe account was created to help the teen's family with medical expenses. Reports said more than $25,000 has already been raised.
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This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Bert Hoover
WATCH: Tennessee Teen Loses Legs After Being Hit by a Car in Downtown St. Louis - From KSDK News