ST. LOUIS — The driver accused of causing a downtown crash last year that severed a young girl’s legs had fentanyl, codeine and THC in his blood, prosecutors said.
In opening statements Tuesday, prosecutors said that toxicology results presented at trial this week would show the driver, Daniel Riley, had multiple drugs in his system when he sped through an intersection, collided with a Chevrolet Malibu and pinned 17-year-old Tennessee resident Janae Edmondson between two cars. Both her legs were amputated as a result.
“This case is not about an accident,†said prosecutor Adam Field. “This case is about a series of choices the defendant made.â€
But Riley’s attorney, Dan Diemer, said Riley was actually T-boned that night by a speeding Chevrolet Malibu. Police rushed to judgment about the cause of the crash, he said.
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“The Malibu hit the Audi with such force as to make it leave the ground,†he said.
The crash, in February 2023 at St. Charles and north 11th streets, jump-started an effort to remove former ºüÀêÊÓƵ Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardner from office after it was revealed that Riley was out on bond for a previous robbery case despite violating the conditions of that bond dozens of times.
The news generated outrage in Missouri and across the country, as critics pointed to it as an example of Gardner’s failures in office.
Riley’s 2020 robbery case, in which he is accused of stealing a gun from the son of a retired ºüÀêÊÓƵ police sergeant, had been dropped and refiled because attorneys were not ready for trial and a judge denied a request to delay it.
Gardner eventually resigned in May and was replaced by current Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore. Riley was charged with assault, armed criminal action and driving without a valid license.
On Tuesday, Edmondson’s father, James Edmondson, told the story of the crash. He, his daughter and his wife were walking from a volleyball tournament at the convention center to their car that evening when he heard the roaring of an engine.
The family ran to get out of the way, but as James Edmondson reached for his daughter, the Audi SUV driven by Riley went airborne, taking her from her father’s arms and pinning her between the vehicle and a nearby parked car.
One of her legs was immediately severed, and the other was severely damaged. James Edmondson said his decade of military service kicked in as he called to bystanders for a belt to apply a tourniquet and stop the bleeding — a move that would save his daughter’s life.
“My mind went from father mode to military,†he said. “It was like God just had control of my hands.â€
Janae Edmondson was taken to ºüÀêÊÓƵ University Hospital to undergo surgery. James Edmondson and his wife stood by her bedside, afraid they were seeing her for the last time.
“We love you, we’re here for you,†he said. Then he asked her to squeeze his hand if she heard him.
“She did,†he said. “And that gave us hope.â€
Janae Edmondson made it through surgery, but when she awoke hours later, her father had to deliver the news that her legs were gone. She responded by saying, “I love you.â€
The months following the crash have been full of surgeries, medical appointments and therapy, James Edmondson said. His daughter struggled to overcome phantom pains from her amputated limbs and deal with the skin grafts required to repair the ends of her stumps. She had to be trained on how to go to the bathroom, transfer into bed and maneuver with a wheelchair.
The process is ongoing, but James Edmondson spoke hopefully about the future. His daughter got fitted for prosthetics, and it was “amazing†to see her with tears in her eyes on the day she stood for the first time.
“It was a miracle,†he said.
Following James Edmondson’s testimony, the driver of the Malibu, Elizabeth Smith, testified that she couldn’t recall many details of the crash. The only thing she remembered for sure was that she was hit by Riley’s vehicle and then the airbags deployed.
“It happened in, like, a split second,†she said.
Another witness who saw the crash and called 911 also testified, as did a police officer who responded to the scene.
Testimony is expected to continue Wednesday.