Teen who pushed friend off bridge is identified, prosecutors mull charges

Washington State authorities have identified the young woman who pushed a teenage friend off a bridge, sending her plunging into the river 60 feet below, and are contemplating whether to file charges.

The major crimes unit of the Clark County Sheriff's Office announced Tuesday that 18-year-old Taylor Smith has been cooperating with investigators, who have finished their probe and forwarded the case to the county prosecutor's office for potential charges.

Police said Smith pushed 16-year-old Jordan Holgerson off a bridge at Moulton Falls Regional Park on Aug. 7. The younger teen plunged more than three stories before belly flopping into the river below, a fall that resulted in six broken ribs, two punctured lungs and multiple internal injuries and cuts. The girl also has a mass behind her windpipe.

Smith, who would not go on camera, told NBC News in a text that she has apologized repeatedly to Holgerson and "feels really bad about what happened."

She also said she has kept away from home because she has been receiving threats.

Bridge-pusher identified; prosecutors mull charges
Bridge-pusher identified; prosecutors mull charges

The entire incident was captured in a video clip that has since been removed from social media.

"I could've died, easily. But I didn't," Holgerson she said in an earlier interview from the hospital.

Trauma surgeon Maryclare Sarff says when a fall is three times a person's height, there's a 50 percent chance of death. Holgerson's drop was far greater.

"When you're falling that high, from that height, the water is like concrete," Sarff said.

Holgerson said she received a single apology, via text, by Smith.

She's now at home recovering, but she continues to have a hard time breathing.

Advertisement