Ellie Bentley was dragged in Feb. 2024. This week, St. Louis prosecutors dropped the fees in opposition to the person she stated left her bleeding on the street.
EUREKA, Mo. — “Stunning. There’s loads of confusion.” That is how Nottingham, England native Ellie Bentley felt after the St. Louis Circuit Lawyer’s workplace dropped the fees in opposition to Dionte Taylor.
Bentley was dragged beneath Taylor’s automotive in The Grove nearly a 12 months in the past. He was initially charged final 12 months with leaving the scene of an damage accident.
Bentley stated she was shielding herself from a taking pictures on Feb. 25 behind a automotive police stated Taylor was driving. The lady who now calls Bentley was dragged a number of blocks close to Manchester and South Taylor Avenues.
“To simply drop the fees, it looks as if slightly little bit of a slap within the face to Ellie, that ‘hey, we’re not even going to attempt right here,'” Bentley’s private damage legal professional Ben Tobin stated Saturday.
Tobin is dealing with Bentley’s civil case. He’s a managing companion at Pratt & Tobin Private Harm Attorneys, which focuses on plaintiffs’ private damage wants.
In an announcement, St. Louis prosecutors defined they did not have sufficient proof to show the driving force knowingly drove away from the accident.
“We now have the deepest sympathy for Ms. Bentley, who suffered extreme, life-altering accidents because of this unlucky incident,” spokeswoman Christine Bertelson wrote. “Our workplace doesn’t touch upon the idea for choices to file nolle prosequi. Nevertheless, these choices all the time replicate data gathered throughout the persevering with investigation that happens after preliminary charging choices are made.
“We carried out a radical, months-long evaluation of the information of this case,” Bertelson stated. “That evaluation included a evaluation of a bodily reconstruction of the incident by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Division. Beneath the circumstances of this case, proof of driver intent is determinative of whether or not there may be prison legal responsibility.”
Associated: ‘I had lower than half of my forearm left’: Lady dragged beneath automotive in The Grove speaks for the primary time
Prosecutors not pursuing prices isn’t all that modified within the final 12 months.
Bentley additionally began snowboarding, even along with her accidents, to attempt to transfer her physique in any means she will be able to.
“I feel after every thing that occurred to me, I grew up as a ballet dancer, going again to ballet it is not the identical,” Bentley defined. “Nothing in my life is similar.”
Beginning this winter, Bentley has been volunteering with the nonprofit Gateway Disabled Ski Program (GDSP) at Hidden Valley Ski Space. GDSP is an Adaptive Snowboarding program that has a number of ski packages.
“I form of wanted a brand new sport the place I did not have the direct comparability of earlier than and after, and I like a problem,” Bentley stated after 5 On Your Facet’s Annie Krall requested why she determined to get into snowboarding.
Bentley broke each her legs and her pelvis, plus she nonetheless cannot use her proper arm. But, she’s gone from being in a wheelchair nearly full-time to snowboarding frequently in Eureka, in simply 10 months.
“I feel generally, particularly within the colder months, like motivating your self to do the physio-therapy workout routines and all of that at house, you may lose motivation slightly bit,” Bentley stated. “I figured it made me make time in my day to reconnect with myself, reconnect with my physique and similar to get again to as wholesome as I may be.”
“To see the place she is now, to see her out right here, snowboarding, a 12 months later I feel is an unimaginable story of perseverance,” Tobin stated.
Bentley stated she has one other intensive surgical procedure scheduled doubtlessly for the spring, on each her legs and arm, to offer it extra construction.
“It is a problem,” Bentley stated. “I feel one factor that I’ve gained from all of that is studying to interrupt issues up and have small objectives for myself.
Bentley now faces greater than $1 million in medical payments, Tobin stated. Tobin added he’s restricted to the cash he is in a position to get again for Bentley primarily based on the worth of Taylor’s automotive insurance coverage.
To donate to Bentley’s GoFundMe and assist her with continued medical payments, you may click on right here.
