ST. LOUIS — Janae Edmondson can barely move 20 feet when she’s in St. Louis without someone stopping her to tell her they’ve been thinking about and praying for her.
“It gets overwhelming at times,” the 18-year-old said. “But I just I'm grateful for it because it's also helped me to keep pushing.”
Her mother, Francine Edmondson, has been with her along the way.
“She's a strong warrior, don't get me wrong," Francine Edmondson said. "But the backing of the people in the community, that just makes you so much more stronger.”
When they go home to Smyrna, Tenn. it’s much of the same.
The homecoming celebration the town had for her when she returned from the hospital after five weeks away was one of the most moving experiences they’ve had since a St. Louis man blew through a yield sign, causing an accident that left the aspiring volleyball player without both of her legs.
“It touched me,” James Edmondson said, his wife and daughter nodding beside him.
But there are also some people the Edmondsons say haven’t supported them – including St. Louis city leaders. And sometimes, they’re reminded of it when some of those people walk up to them in public.
“I've had so many people walk up to us and say, ‘You know, if the light's green, I still stop because I don't know if somebody's comin’,” Francine Edmondson said. “That comes from the inaction of the city.”
The family met with 5 On Your Side Friday for an exclusive interview to thank the community for its support as well as call out who else they believe needs to be held accountable.
Daniel Riley, who drove the car that caused the accident, has so far been the first.
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On Thursday, a jury recommended sentences for Riley, 21, that could land him in prison for close to 20 years should the judge decide he should serve them consecutively. The verdict took about three hours following a four-day trial.
“I was pleased that he was found guilty with pretty much everything that he was charged with, but, at the end of the day, he has legs, I don't,” she said, pausing to wipe away tears. “So he doesn't have to go through what I have to go through just to get back to even walking.
“So, it's never going to be enough in my opinion. It never will be.”
In addition to keeping up with the immense task of rehabilitation and healing, the family hasn’t missed a beat when it comes to St. Louis news – especially when it involves pedestrian safety and the multiple fatal and serious injury accidents that have happened in the region since Janae’s.
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The family said they were shocked when four young adults were killed in a crash about a week after Janae was injured. And they’re praying for the family of the Chicago mother and daughter who were killed crossing a downtown street just weeks ago -- not far from and almost a year to the day Janae’s life changed forever.
Francine Edmondson noted Mayor Tishaura Jones signed a $40 million Safer Streets initiative a year ago, and only about $300,000 has been spent so far. James Edmondson blamed infighting among the Board of Aldermen and the mayor for the inaction.
“It’s been a year, I mean, what are we doing?” Francine Edmondson asked.
James Edmondson said he was hurt by how Jones and former St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner never checked to see how Janae was doing when she was in the hospital.
“That was a slap in the face to us,” he said.
In a statement, Jones’s spokesman wrote: “The mayor expresses her deepest sympathies to Janae and her family.”
The Edmondsons have also filed a lawsuit against the city, alleging it did not properly maintain signage at the intersection where Janae was hit. Not long after the collision, the city replaced the yield sign with a stop sign.
The city counselor’s office has filed a motion to dismiss the Edmondsons' lawsuit and has not yet provided any of the records their attorney is seeking.
Jones’ spokesman said the mayor will not comment on pending litigation.
“That is another slap in the face,” James Edmondson said. “You see what happened to her.
“It wasn't her fault. Your administration failed her. The city failed her, and now you don't want to offer anything? I think that is so wrong morally to take this stance.”
One of the biggest failures the Edmondsons say they’ve had to cope with is former St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner.
The I-Team was the first to report Gardner’s administration failed to take Riley to trial for an armed robbery nine months before Janae was struck – and failed to ask a judge to revoke his bond after dozens of violations of his house arrest.
Many say Janae’s case and the failures it exposed within Gardner’s administration led to Gardner’s resignation in May 2023.
The Edmondsons watched the whole thing.
Francine Edmondson said she read the lawsuit Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s filed to remove Gardner from office weeks after her daughter was struck, listing other cases in which Gardner’s office failed to prosecute cases.
The same judge, Michael Noble, who infamously called Gardner’s administration a “rudderless ship of chaos,” before holding her in contempt for failing to prosecute a separate case, presided over Riley’s trial this week.
The Edmondsons noticed that, too.
“She was the one that was manning the ship,” James Edmondson said.
“She was the leader,” Francine Edmondson added. “It was her responsibility.”
Now, Francine Edmondson says she wants to start a petition to have Gardner’s law license revoked. Gardner vowed to run for Circuit Attorney during the next election. So far, she has not filed the paperwork to do so, and hasn’t spoken publicly or returned requests for comment in months.
Her replacement, Gabe Gore, was appointed by Gov. Mike Parson. He is now running for the office. He visited the Edmondsons while they were in court Thursday, shaking their hands and thanking them for their courage.
On Friday, Gore held a press conference, saying he believes the verdict will “send a message” that reckless driving will not be tolerated in our community.
Francine Edmondson said she wanted the jury to give Riley the maximum sentence on all counts, which could have given him a total of more than 20 years behind bars should the judge order him to serve the sentences consecutively.
She said seven jurors came up to them following the verdict, saying they wanted to give him the maximum, but could not reach a consensus. Some of the jurors hugged the Edmondsons.
Gore’s Assistant Circuit Attorney told the jury to send a message with its verdict during closing arguments.
“There are some crimes that resonate deeply with the community, and this is one of them,” Gore said. “One thing that will always resonate with me is the resilience of Janae and her family and her determination to not be defined by the horrific injuries that she suffered.”
Janae’s recovery so far has included 23 surgeries, with at least six more planned.
Trying to walk with prosthetics has proven extremely difficult while the delicate skin grafts that cover where her legs now end heal enough to bear the weight of her body.
There are 16 stairs lead to Janae’s room in the Edmondsons' house. She’s only gone up them once since she lost her legs, scooting herself backwards and using her arms to push herself up each one.
She has physical therapy three times a week.
She also manages the Blue Raider volleyball team at the Middle Tennessee State volleyball program as part of a partial scholarship.
Four days before the crash, Janae committed to UT-Southern. Her role with MTSU allows her to stay closer to home so she can continue her rigorous medical and physical recovery.
It’s a time in her life when she thought she would be moving away from her parents, gaining more independence and growing up.
She needs them now more than ever – but they’ve seen her withdraw at times, knowing this is the time in her life when she should be living on her own just as her three older siblings do.
For now, Janae and her parents say they plan to raise awareness of the need for safer streets in St. Louis and tougher laws for reckless crashes.
They say they’re relying on their faith to find the strength to do it while juggling Janae’s ongoing recovery.
“God’s purpose for us is way bigger than we expected,” Janae said.
And they’re reminded of that every time someone stops to tell them how much they have been inspired by her strength.