A Washington woman who admitted to shoving her friend off of a 60-foot bridge pleaded guilty on March 18.
Tay’Lor Smith, 19, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor of reckless endangerment. She originally pleaded not guilty in September 2018.
She’ll be sentenced on March 27 and could land up to a year in jail but prosecutors are recommending a sentence with no jail time, reported The Columbian. She also faces a fine of up to $5,000.
Smith’s shove of Jordan Holgerson, 16, on Aug. 7, 2018, was captured on video. Holgerson plummeted into a body of water after being pushed off the bridge and suffered a slew of injuries, including five broken ribs and punctured lungs.
Woman pleads guilty to gross misdemeanor in viral Moulton Falls bridge-shoving incident https://t.co/v0sAnaFHAh #Clarkwa pic.twitter.com/bjtikw6XIT
— The Columbian (@thecolumbian) March 18, 2019
Tay’lor Smith, 19, was caught on video pushing her friend, causing the girl to fall about 60 feet before hitting the water below. https://t.co/0gRQUbprKb
— KAPP-KVEW (@KAPPKVEW) March 18, 2019
Cellphone footage showed Jordan looking down at the water and hesitating before being shoved.
“I went to the top of the bridge and my other—my friend … she came up to the bridge with me,” Holgerson told KATU from her hospital bed as she described the moments leading up to the push.
“And so, she was counting down, but I didn’t think anything of it. And I was like, ‘No, don’t count down, like, I won’t go if you count down. I’m not ready.’ And then, she pushed me.”
Prosecutors cited a statement by the arresting officer that stated in part, “It is clear that Taylor Smith engaged in conduct which created a substantial risk of death and resulted in serious physical injury to Jordan Holgerson.”
Jordan’s mother, Genelle Holgerson, said that her daughter is going to physical therapy for a shoulder injury suffered in the fall.
“She gets to where she thinks people are going to hurt her, so we’re working through anxiety. I think being done with this will help her close that chapter,” Holgerson told KPTV after the hearing on Monday.
“I just want it to be done. I don’t want to wait until next Wednesday,” Jordana added.
In the aftermath of the incident, Smith appeared on “Good Morning America” and said she didn’t think of the consequences of pushing her friend.
Here’s the bridge in Yacolt a teenager was shoved off of, she’s in the hospital recovering after breaking her ribs. #LiveOnK2 https://t.co/9IZ660iNwl pic.twitter.com/Rub8YlvuBu
— Reed Buterbaugh (@Reed_PDX) August 9, 2018
WA Teen Who Was Pushed Off Bridge: ‘She Could Have Been Charged With a Little Bit More’ https://t.co/TSyvRmkl46 #bridge #injury #Charged
— The Epoch Times (@EpochTimes) August 21, 2018
“I didn’t think about the consequences,” Smith said. “I thought she would be fine.”
She also claimed that Jordan had asked for a push.
“She wanted to jump and she was scared, and she had asked me to give her a push,” she said.
