Welp, the 18-year-old girl who shoved her friend off a bridge has just been charged. Taylor Smith faces one count of reckless endangerment in Clark County, Washington, according to court documents obtained by KGW.
As seen on viral video, she shoved 16-year-old friend Jordan Holgerson off a 60-foot drop into a river below. This created “a substantial risk of death or serous physical injury,” prosecutors said. This could bring 364 days in jail, and a possible fine of $5,000.
Holgerson had hopped over the fence to jump into the Lewis River. In the video, she appears ready to back off. But….
“[Smith] came up to the bridge with me, and I was taking too long, so I was getting scared,” Holgerson told KOIN from her hospital bed. “It was a really tall bridge, and so she was counting down, but I didn’t think anything of it, and I was like, ‘No, don’t count down. I won’t go if you count down. I’m not ready.’ And then, she pushed me.”
Holgerson sustained at least five broken ribs, and injuries to her lung and leg, she said.
She and her family members were livid. A sister and her mom have both called for Smith to take responsibility. Even before today’s announcement, Holgerson said she wants Smith to spend some time behind bars.
“Well at first I didn’t really want Taylor to get in trouble, but now that I’ve thought about it more, I’m kind of wanting her to sit in jail and think about at least what she did,” Holgerson told TODAY.
But Smith told Good Morning America on Friday morning that Holgerson had told her to do the push in the first place.
“She wanted to jump,” Smith said. “She just was scared she wouldn’t be able to.”
She said she never intended to hurt Holgerson, and voiced hope they could be friends again.
[Screengrab via Good Morning America]
