Man charged in crash that injured Smyrna teen had been in trouble before
The suspect was out on bond for a robbery, speeding and did not have a valid driver’s license.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – New details released about the man charged in connection to a crash that caused a Smyrna teenager to lose her legs show he had been in trouble before.
Daniel Riley, the man driving the car police say caused a crash that severely injured 16-year-old Janae Edmondson, was out on bond, speeding and did not have a valid driver’s license, KMOV reports.
Edmondson, a student-athlete, was at a volleyball event in St. Louis when police say Riley failed to yield at an intersection and hit another car. That car went airborne and hit Edmondson, pinning her between it and a parked car.
Riley was later arrested for three counts of assault, armed criminal action, and operating a vehicle without a valid license. Edmondson lost her legs.
A probable cause statement against Riley, obtained by KMOV, said Riley is out on bond for other pending charges, including robbery and armed criminal action for a St. Louis robbery that happened in August 2020. He got a personal recognizance bond on Aug. 10, 2022, on the conditions of GPS monitoring and house arrest.
The statement said he received “numerous” GPS violations, the last one filed on Feb. 13, just five days before the crash.
Police say Riley did not have a valid driver’s license when the crash happened on Saturday. Police allege he was driving 45 miles per hour, 20 above the speed limit, when the crash happened.
Jeff Wismer, the assistant director at Mid TN Volleyball Club, said the crash will change Edmondson’s life forever. Wismer said Edmondson is a “wonderful kid with a great smile.” She’s a three-sport athlete, who committed to playing college volleyball next year.
“She has lost both limbs below her waist,” Wismer said. “So, for us, how do you find words to explain our sorrow? We really can’t.”
As Edmonson goes down her long road to recovery, a GoFundMe account was set up by the volleyball community to help the Edmondson family with medical expenses and other financial needs.
“The road for Janae is tough,” Wismer said. “There’s going to be a lot of challenges ahead, financial challenges, emotional challenges that we’re hoping that the community can embrace this family as she goes through this unique time in her life that you can never imagine. This is an unthinkable situation that she has to encounter right now.”
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