“I don't want this to define who I am and what I bring to this world,” the teenage victim said.
The driver who struck 17-year-old Janae Edmondson and pinned her between two vehicles was sentenced Thursday, according to a Friday news conference from St. Louis Circuit Court Attorney Gabriel E. Gore. Ta.
Daniel Riley, 22, was found guilty of second-degree assault, armed criminal action, fourth-degree assault and driving without a license, the Associated Press reported. The jury recommended that Riley be sentenced to 18 years and nine months in prison, First Alert 4 reported. Riley is scheduled to be sentenced on April 18th.
Before the February 2023 incident, Riley was released on bail as an armed robbery suspect, but he violated the terms of his release more than 40 times, KSDK reported.
After the accident, Edmonson had both of his legs amputated. Riley crashed his 2023 Audi Q5 after passing a yield sign at 11 St. Charles in St. Louis, Missouri. The teenager was visiting from Tennessee for a volleyball tournament when the accident occurred.
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KSDK News/Youtube
daniel riley
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Edmonson and her family were walking toward the hotel when Riley's car hit her, according to a statement shared on Edmonson's Mid-Tennessee Volleyball Club's GoFundMe campaign for her.
The teen's father, a military veteran, revealed during the trial that when he saw her severed leg before the ambulance arrived, he made a tourniquet with his belt, First Alert 4 reports. .
She explained during the trial that she was talking to her parents in the emergency vehicle. “I was talking to them and I said, “My mom told me not to close my eyes.'' It was repeating itself inside,” the teenager recalled, according to First Alert 4.
She was then rushed to a nearby hospital, accompanied by her parents, James and Francine Edmondson, according to a GoFundMe account.
She suffered internal injuries and a pelvic fracture. Since the accident, Edmondson has undergone 29 surgeries, 23 of which occurred two weeks after the accident, First Alert 4 reported. She is expected to undergo more surgeries in the future.
In a victim impact statement, the girl thanked her parents for saving her life and said the tragedy “taught me” how to overcome adversity and “be tough, resilient and strong.” .
“While this tragedy has had a profound impact on my life, I will not let it define who I am or what I bring to this world,” she said.
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KSDK News/Youtube
Janae Edmondson
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Along with Riley's conviction, the Edmondson family is suing Riley and the city of St. Louis.
Riley's family is suing the city after it was discovered that he had broken bond more than 40 times and remained free.
This began an effort to eliminate the then-St. Louis Circuit Court Attorney Kim Gardner from her office. Gardner initially resisted the effort, but resigned after three months.
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Representatives from the Circuit Attorney's Office and Riley's attorney, Daniel Diemer, did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's requests for further information Friday.
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