Teen Who Lost Legs After Being Hit by Car Is Learning to 'Do Life Again' While Driver Remains in Custody

Janae Edmonson, 17, had committed to play collegiate volleyball a week before the car accident that left her critically injured

Janae Edmonson. Photo: Gofundme

After losing both of her legs in a car crash allegedly caused by a speeding driver, a Tennessee volleyball standout faces a long road to recovery ahead.

Janae Edmondson, 17, was walking to a hotel in downtown St. Louis with her family when she was struck by a vehicle after the driver allegedly ran through a yield sign.

Edmondson is "learning to do life again," her parents said in court this week the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. "A parent should never see their child in that situation," the girl's mother, Francine Edmonson added.

Daniel Riley, 21, of St. Louis, Mo., has been charged with multiple counts of assault and one count of operating a vehicle without a valid driver's license, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. PEOPLE was unable to identify a defense attorney to speak on his behalf.

The suspect is accused of being behind the wheel of a 2023 Audi Q5 that allegedly ran through a yield sign and struck the girl, critically injuring her on Feb. 18, according to a statement from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, obtained by PEOPLE.

As Edmondson remains hospitalized, her emotional parents asked a judge to deny bond for Riley during a detention hearing on Monday, according to the outlet. The judge ruled that Riley will remain in custody while awaiting trial.

Jeff Wismer, assistant director of the Mid-TN volleyball club, said that Edmondson had to have both of her legs amputated after the crash, according to NBC affiliate KSDK and CBS affiliate KMOV.

Wismer said the teen had committed to play collegiate volleyball a week before the accident, per KSDK's report.

"We at Mid TN Volleyball Club are asking our community to pray for Janae, her family, and her teammates," the statement reads. "The whole club loves Janae and values her athletic gifts, toughness, determination, and perseverance."

Edmondson was visiting the area for a volleyball tournament, according to a statement shared on the club's website and a GoFundMe campaign launched by her loved ones.

Rhonda Ross, owner and director of Mid-TN volleyball club, told KSDK that Edmondson must stay in St. Louis for at least four weeks before she can be safely transported to a different hospital.

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Riley, who was arrested shortly after the collision, was on house arrest and had a GPS monitoring bracelet after he was arrested in 2020 in connection with an armed robbery case, according to KSDK's report.

Records obtained by the outlet allege he violated the terms of his monitoring system on more than 40 occasions since July 18, 2022.

According to a spokesman for the circuit attorney's office, after learning of the violations, a judge decided to keep him out of jail, the outlet reports.

The investigation continues.