Teen sues St. Louis after accident; man charged was on bond.

An Inspiring Story of Resilience: Teen Volleyball Player Sues City After Losing Both Legs in Tragic Accident

In a heartbreaking turn of events, an 18-year-old girl from Tennessee named Janae Edmondson has filed a lawsuit against the city of St. Louis. This courageous young athlete had both of her legs amputated after being struck by a car in an accident that police say was partially caused by a man out on bond.

Janae, a talented high school volleyball player, was competing in a tournament in St. Louis when tragedy struck. She was pinned between two cars in February, resulting in the loss of both her legs. The driver responsible for the collision was Daniel Riley, a 21-year-old man who was out on bond for an armed robbery case. Riley’s vehicle slammed into another car, which then struck Janae.

The lawsuit filed by Janae and her family states, “Edmondson had her bright future brutally ripped away when she was crushed between two vehicles following a car crash, leading to amputation of both her legs. The crash, involving a robbery suspect who had violated the terms of his bond dozens of times over several months, was completely preventable.”

The ordeal brought waves of negative publicity and eventually, among other incidents, led to the resignation of St. Louis’ top prosecutor, Kim Gardner. Now, Janae Edmondson is seeking damages from the city, as she accuses the government of negligence. https://t.co/07S87qImqU

— St. Louis Business Journal (@stlouisbiz) June 22, 2023

The defendants in the case include St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones, Daniel Riley, and the other driver involved in the accident.

This is Daniel Riley, the man accused of causing a crash in downtown St. Louis that severely injured a young volleyball player. #News4Investigates is digging into his background and learning he never should have been driving. More on @KMOV at 6 pic.twitter.com/MMoxEgmGPl

— Susan El Khoury (@SusanElKhoury) February 21, 2023

According to the lawsuit, Daniel Riley repeatedly violated the terms of his bond by tampering with the GPS tracker monitoring him and leaving house arrest on over 50 occasions, all without facing consequences.

Riley’s armed robbery case dates back to 2020 and is still ongoing. The former prosecutor, Kim Gardner, faced criticism for allowing Riley to be out of jail. Riley has pleaded not guilty to charges related to the crash and is still awaiting trial for the armed robbery.

Both drivers involved in the accident, Daniel Riley and Elizabeth Smith, were driving without valid or suspended driver’s licenses and were speeding, as stated in the lawsuit. Janae also holds the city responsible for the hazardous roadway where the collision occurred.

Despite the immense challenges she has faced, Janae’s spirit remains unbroken. After spending 40 days in the hospital, she was accepted into the University of Tennessee Southern to play volleyball. Additionally, Middle Tennessee State University has awarded her a partial scholarship to support her involvement in their volleyball program.

Janae’s family started a GoFundMe campaign, which has raised over $800,000 to assist with her medical expenses. The family expresses their gratitude for the community’s prayers and support, sharing updates on Janae’s progress and her determination to regain strength and adapt to prosthetics.

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