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Seventeen-year-old Janae Edmondson lost her legs after being hit by driver, Daniel Riley, who was out on bond despite violating the terms of his bond multiple times. According to the Associated Press, Daniel, 22, was convicted of second-degree assault, armed criminal action, fourth-degree assault, and driving without a valid license; reports that he hit Janae while she was in St. Louis for a volleyball tournament. KSDK reported that prior to the February 2023 accident, Riley was out on bond after he was a suspect in an armed robbery, although he had violated the conditions of his release more than 40 times.
Riley reportedly hit Janae after running a yield sign while she was walking, penning her in between two vehicles, causing her legs to be amputated from the impact. People reported that Edmondson and her family were walking to a hotel when Riley's car struck her, according to a statement shared on Edmondson's Mid TN Volleyball Club's GoFundMe campaign for her. The teenager's father, a veteran, shared during the trial that he created a tourniquet with his belt when he saw her severed legs and before the ambulance arrived, reports First Alert 4. She explained during the trial that while in the emergency vehicle, she was talking to her parents. "I was talking to them and saying, 'My mom said don't close my eyes. I have to stay awake,' and I was just sitting there, looking up, repeating that to myself," recalled the teenager, per First Alert 4. People also reported that the victim suffered internal injuries and a fractured pelvis. Since the crash, Edmondson received 29 surgeries, 23 of which occurred two weeks after the accident, reports First Alert 4. She is expected to have more surgeries in the future.
The Edmondsons are suing the city of St. Louis and the driver, who will be sentenced on April 18. The family decided to sue after discovering that Riley had violated his bond over 40 times and remained free. This led to efforts to remove then-St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner from office. Initially, Gardner fought the efforts, but three months later, she resigned, per People.
Despite her life-changing event, Edmondson signed on to play volleyball at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, per KSDK. She will be the team manager. During the trial, Janae said, "While this tragedy has severely impacted my life, I will not let this define who I am and what I bring to this world." She's received tremendous support; her GoFundMe has received over $840 thousand in donations to date.
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Yeah, this was a sad one. I think that they were saying that she may lose one or both arms.