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St. Louis mayor says crash causing Smyrna teen to lose her legs could have been prevented

Posted at 6:06 AM, Feb 23, 2023
and last updated 2023-02-23 08:01:55-05

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A crash that left a Smyrna teen without both of her legs is now leading to political fallout 300 miles away in St. Louis.

The St. Louis mayor is calling out the city's circuit attorney, saying she could have prevented this accident.

Janae Edmondson

Janae Edmondson, 17, was in the city for a volleyball tournament Saturday. She was walking with her family downtown when she was pinned between two cars.

One of the drivers was 21-year-old Daniel Riley, who is believed to have run through a yield sign, causing this terrible tragedy.

Riley was out on bond and was supposed to be on house arrest for a first-degree robbery charge and gun-related charges. He was supposed to go on trial last month, but sources say the St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office was not ready and pushed it back.

This is why Mayor Tishaura Jones and other political leaders in the city are calling on Kimberly Gardner to resign as Circuit Attorney.

"This incident and others have highlighted the fact that some improvements need to be made in her office. And she really needs to do Some soul searching on whether or not she wants to continue as circuit attorney because she's lost the trust of the people," said Mayor Jones.

NewsChannel 5 found that Riley received more than 50 GPS violations while on house arrest, the most recent being five days before the crash. He is now being held without bond.