A volleyball star from Tennessee will have a long road to recovery ahead of her after suffering the loss of both of her legs in a vehicle accident that authorities believe was caused by a motorist who was going too fast.
Janae Edmondson, who was 17 years old at the time, was walking to a hotel in downtown St. Louis with her family when she was hit by a car that reportedly drove through a yield sign. The driver of the vehicle has been charged with negligent driving.
According to a report from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Edmondson’s parents said in court last week that their daughter is “learning to do life again.” Francine Edmonson, the girl’s mother, said, “A parent should never see their kid in that scenario.” She was referring to the circumstances in which her daughter found herself.
According to reports from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 21-year-old Daniel Riley of St. Louis, Missouri, has been charged with numerous counts of assault as well as one count of driving a car without a valid driver’s license. These charges were brought against Riley. PEOPLE was unable to locate a defense counsel who would be willing to speak on his behalf.
According to a statement from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department that was obtained by PEOPLE, the suspect is accused of being the driver of a 2023 Audi Q5 when it allegedly ran through a yield sign on February 18 and struck the girl, critically injuring her. The statement was obtained by PEOPLE.
According to the publication, Edmondson is still being treated in the hospital, and her parents broke down in tears as they pleaded with the court to refuse release for Riley during a detention hearing on Monday. The court made the decision that Riley would wait for his trial while being held in jail.
According to NBC outlet KSDK and CBS affiliate KMOV, Jeff Wismer, assistant director of the Mid-TN volleyball club, said that Edmondson had to have both of her legs amputated following the collision. Wismer’s comments were reported by the two local news stations.
According to the report by KSDK, Wismer said that the adolescent had committed to playing college volleyball one week before to the tragedy.
The Mid TN Volleyball Club has released a statement that says in part, “We at Mid TN Volleyball Club are asking our community to pray for Janae, her family, and her colleagues.” The whole of the team adores Janae and recognizes the worth of her athletic abilities, tenacity, dedication, and resilience.
According to a statement that was published on the club’s website and a GoFundMe campaign that was started by Edmondson’s loved ones, Edmondson had traveled to the region in order to compete in a volleyball event.
According to Rhonda Ross, owner and director of the Mid-TN volleyball club, who spoke with KSDK about Edmondson’s situation, she has to remain in the hospital in St. Louis for at least four weeks before being moved to another facility securely.
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According to the report from KSDK, Riley, who was detained immediately after the crash, had previously been arrested in 2020 in connection with an armed robbery case. At the time of his arrest in 2020, he was placed on house arrest and given a GPS monitoring device.
According to the records that were received by the source, there have been more than 40 instances since July 18, 2022 in which he has breached the conditions of his surveillance system.
According to a representative for the office of the circuit attorney, after learning of the infractions, a court chose to keep him out of prison, the source adds. This decision was made despite the fact that he committed the crimes.