Girl, 19, who pushed friend, 16, off a bridge pleads Guilty to Reckless Endangerment

A 19-year-old woman has pled guilty to pushing her friend from a bridge at a popular swimming area near Vancouver last year.

Tay’lor Smith, 19, who accepted a plea deal last month, appeared in Clark County District on Monday. She’s charged with misdemeanour reckless endangerment for an incident where Jordan Holgerson, 16, was pushed at Moulton Falls in Washington state on August 7, 2018.

Holgerson was standing on the ledge as friends filmed. She had planned to jump but backed out at the last second. Then Smith pushed her and she fell from the bridge and into the water below, smacking the water with her chest-first. The speed at which she fell meant that when she hit the water, she would have suffered the same impact as if she had been hitting concrete, according to experts.

Holgerson broke six ribs and punctured both lungs after she fell about 60 feet down the bridge.

Judge Darvin Zimmerman delayed the sentencing to hear more about the victim’s injuries, medical costs and to give Holgerson time to gather her thoughts in case she wanted to speak before hearing Tay’lor Smith’s fate.

 

Tay’lor initially faced up to a year in prison and a $5,000 fine for the incident that went viral when a video was posted on YouTube. But prosecutors are now recommending no jail time when she is sentenced March 27.

Instead Smith could get off relatively lightly with community service and electronic monitoring that would leave her confined to her home.

Smith previously spoke out to say she was sorry for hurting her friend.

She said last year: “I never intended to hurt her ever, nor would I intend to hurt anyone, ever. I’m sorry it worked out that way. I accept the charges maturely and all I can do is hope for the best for Jordan and myself.”