The teenager who lost her legs in St. Louis in February after a 21-year-old free on bond struck her with his car is now suing the city.
Janae Edmondson says in a lawsuit filed in city circuit court on Tuesday that the city had a duty to keep the intersection downtown where the crash occurred in a "reasonably safe condition."
In February, the then-16-year-old high school athlete was visiting St. Louis with her family for a volleyball tournament downtown when she was struck by a car driven by Daniel Riley.
Riley, who did not have a driver's license, was free on bond for armed robbery charges. Despite the fact that he had violated the terms of his bond dozens of times, he remained out of jail.
The crash set off an outpouring of support for Edmondson, who had to have both her legs amputated, as well as a wave of anger at then-Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner.
Edmondson's lawsuit names Riley as a defendant as well, accusing him of driving in a negligent and careless manner. Police reports from the time of the accident say Riley was driving 20 mph above the speed limit.
Also named in the lawsuit are Kimberly Riley, who Edmondson's lawyers say allowed Riley to drive the car he later crashed, despite the fact she should have known he was on house arrest.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Elizabeth Smith, the driver of the vehicle Riley struck before striking Edmonson, are also named.
Back in February, Gardner initially blamed Judge Bryan Hettenbach for granting Riley bond, but public sentiment swayed decisively against Gardner. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey began a legal process to remove her from office. She resigned May 16.
The City of St. Louis, as well as the other defendants named in Edmondson's suit, has yet to file a response in court.
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