A promising teenage athlete has lost both of her legs after being hit by a car that had been struck by a speeding car driven by an unlicensed driver.
Janae Edmondson, 16, was in St. Louis, Missouri, to take part in a volleyball tournament, having travelled some 300 miles to play for her school.
She was walking back to her hotel with her parents at about 9pm on Saturday (February 19) when she was hit by a car.
The vehicle had been thrown into the air after being struck by an Audi travelling at twice the local speed limit.
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The driver of the Audi, 21-year-old Daniel Riley, did not have a driving licence and was on bail for a robbery charge.
He should have been under house arrest and wearing an ankle tag at the time of the crash.
Video shared by road safety action group Citizens for a Greater Downtown St. Louis showed the Audi racing through an intersection before smashing into another vehicle that was sent flying by the impact.
Janae was rushed to hospital with horrific injuries and Jeff Wismer, Assistant Director of Janae’s team – Mid-Tennessee Volleyball Club, said that doctors had been forced to amputate both of the promising young athlete’s legs,
“She has lost both limbs below her waist,” he told told local news station KMOV. “So for us, how do you find words to explain our sorrow? We really can’t…”
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An Instagram post from Janae’s team said the driver of the car had ignored a stop sign before the tragic incident.
“We are thankful to report that her condition, though serious, is now stable. We at Mid TN Volleyball Club are asking our community to pray for Janae, her family, and her teammates.
"The whole club loves Janae and values her athletic gifts, toughness, determination, and perseverance. These are things she will need in great measure during the long recovery that lies ahead”.
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A GoFundMe account has been set up to help Janae’s family meet the significant medical bills they will face.
“I am crying on my keyboard… life doesn’t make sense sometimes,” Jay Umboh, Janae’s former club basketball coach, wrote on Facebook.
“Losing your legs as a young athlete about to play college ball is as Tragic as it can get. But if anyone can overcome this, I know it’s you Janae.”
Riley has been charged with second-degree assault, armed criminal action and several traffic misdemeanours.
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