Teen volleyball player who lost her legs in violent car crash sues city of St. Louis and 2 drivers involved
A teenage volleyball player from Tennessee is suing the city of St. Louis, Missouri, as well as two drivers involved in a violent car crash in February that caused her to lose both of her legs.
CBS affiliate KMOV obtained a redacted copy of the lawsuit, which was filed Tuesday on behalf of the teenager, Janae Edmonson. The driver allegedly responsible for the wreck, Daniel Riley, was out on bond on a robbery charge despite several violations of his bond. The accident resulted in outrage against Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner amid concerns that dysfunction in her office allowed Riley to remain free. Gardner resigned in May as Republican Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey was seeking her ouster.
Gardner was not named in the lawsuit but her attorney, Kevin Carnie, said they were "weighing the possibility," the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
Edmondson, then a high school senior, was in St. Louis for a volleyball tournament on Feb. 18. She was with her parents crossing an intersection when a speeding car driven by Riley collided with another car driven by a woman. Edmondson was pinned between the two vehicles.
Edmondson "had her bright future brutally ripped away," the lawsuit states, calling the crash "completely preventable."
The lawsuit seeks damages of more than $25,000 from Riley, his mother, Kimberly, the city, and the driver of the other vehicle, as well as EAN Holdings LLC, the car rental company that does business as Enterprise Rent-A-Car. The suit says Riley's mother obtained her 2023 Audi from that company and gave him access to it before he struck Edmonson, allowing him to borrow it despite the fact that he had "exhibited habitual recklessness while driving automobiles," according to court documents.
The lawsuit says the driver of the other car should be held liable because she, too, was driving without a valid license.
The lawsuit blames the city for failing to maintain a safe intersection, citing a yield sign that the lawsuit claims was inadequate because buildings blocked the view of oncoming traffic. "In violation of its duty ... St. Louis negligently permitted and maintained a dangerous condition to exist at the Intersection, creating an unreasonable risk of injury to pedestrians," it states.
A city spokesman declined comment.
Riley remains jailed as he awaits trial in his criminal case.
A GoFundMe campaign launched to support Edmonson and her family and help with their medical costs had raised more than $820,000 as of Thursday morning.