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A St. Louis prosecutor’s office is facing criticism after a man who it failed to prosecute in an armed robbery case last summer allegedly caused a car crash on Saturday that critically injured a teen volleyball star, leading her to have her legs amputated.
Daniel Riley, 21, was arrested on charges of second-degree assault and operating a vehicle without a valid license, among other charges, after he ignored a yield sign and drove through the intersection of North 11th and St. Charles streets, striking another car and then the teen pedestrian just after 8:30 p.m., the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department said.
Riley was going 20 mph over the speed limit and didn’t try to brake before the crash, according to NBC affiliate KSDK of St. Louis, citing police. The car flipped onto its roof after Riley hit the other car and the pedestrian, police said.
Court documents obtained by the news station show that Riley had been on house arrest with a GPS bracelet since last July, when he was supposed to go to trial for an armed robbery that occured in August 2020. The trial was postponed because the St. Louis City Circuit Attorney’s Office was not ready to proceed.
Riley violated the conditions of his monitoring more than 40 times since last year, with the most recent violation coming five days before the crash, KSDK reported. The circuit attorney’s office did not file a motion with the court to revoke Riley’s bond following those violations, the news station reported.
A spokesman for the circuit attorney’s office told KSDK it was the judge’s decision to keep Riley out on bond and that the court was aware of his violations.
The St. Louis City Circuit Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to questions from NBC News.
In a statement provided to NBC News, Democratic Mayor Tishaura Jones criticized the circuit attorney’s office, claiming that she is in touch with both their office and the court “to review the processes that led up to this preventable tragedy.”
“Our city can and must do a better job of working together to hold those who endanger our communities accountable,” Jones said.
The pedestrian Riley struck was 16-year-old Janae Edmondson, according to information shared by her volleyball team. At the time of the collision, Edmondson was walking with her family back to their hotel after the first day of a volleyball event, the team said, adding that her mother and father stayed with her as she was rushed to the hospital.
Rhonda Ross, the owner and director of the Mid TN Volleyball Club, told KSDK that Janae will continue receiving treatment in St. Louis for 4 — 5 weeks before she can be moved to a hospital closer to her home in Tennessee. Ross confirmed that Janae lost both of her legs due to the extent of her injuries.
As of Tuesday, Janae was on a ventilator and did not yet know she had lost her legs, the news station reported.
The team’s assistant director, Jeff Wismer, told KSDK that Janae had just committed to playing collegiate volleyball.
The club paid tribute to Janae in sharing the news of the crash and called for support for her and her family.
“The whole club loves Janae and values her athletic gifts, toughness, determination, and perseverance,” the team said. “These are things she will need in great measure during the long recovery that lies ahead.”
“At the request of the family, please keep focus on prayers for Janae and allow for comfortable space as they cope,” the club added.
The driver and passenger of the car Riley collided with — two 23-year-old women — were treated for minor injuries at the hospital, according to the police spokesperson, who added that Riley was also evaluated before being booked into jail.
St. Louis Traffic Accident Reconstruction is investigating the incident, the spokesperson said.
Riley was denied bail at a Tuesday court appearance, where his defense attorney entered a not guilty plea. He is being held at the St. Louis City Justice Center, and is due in court Monday, jail records show.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Janae’s parents delivered emotional testimony describing how they tried to save her in the moments after the crash, KSDK reported.
Her father, a military veteran, said it was thanks to his training that he knew how to apply a tourniquet, and that he used two belts to stop the bleeding on one of her mangled legs as they awaited emergency responders.
“What he has done to us and my daughter is unchangeable,” he said. “… We have to tell her, ‘Your legs are gone.’”
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
