Teen who pushed girl off bridge pleads guilty to misdemeanor

A teenager accused of injuring her 16-year-old friend by pushing her off a 60-foot bridge in southwestern Washington in August pleaded guilty Monday to misdemeanor reckless endangerment.

Taylor Smith appeared in Clark County District Court, where a state prosecutor recommended no jail time. She will be sentenced on March 27.

Smith pushed Jordan Holgerson off the Moulton Falls Regional Park bridge northeast of Vancouver on Aug. 7. Holgerson suffered six broken ribs and punctured lungs.

Smith, 19, was charged with one count of reckless endangermentabout a week and a half after the incident, a misdemeanor which carries a maximum penalty of a year in jail and a $5,000 fine.

She pleaded not guilty in December. Last month, Smith was offered a plea deal, the details of which were not shared in court.

The 10-second video clip of the incident captured on a cellphone went viral.

Holgerson initially planned to jump off the bridge into a river about 60 feet below, but has said she changed her mind.

She said in a recent interview on NBC's "Today" that while she was looking forward to Smith being sentenced, she was uncertain what punishment Smith should face.

"Some days, I kind of want her to be put in jail," Holgerson said. "And some days, I think that might be too harsh."