A 19-year-old woman from Washington state will spend two days in jail after pleading guilty of pushing her friend off of a bridge.
Taylor Smith was also ordered on Wednesday to spend 38 days on a work crew, NBC News reported, one week after she pleaded guilty to one count of misdemeanor reckless endangerment.
The charges come from a video that has now gone viral in which Smith can be seen pushing then-16-year-old Jordan Holgerson off the edge of a bridge at Moulton Falls Regional Park.
The video, which hit social media, showed Holgerson in swimwear standing at the edge of a bridge. A voice in the background is heard counting down. Holgerson appears to hesitate, then a person behind her pushes her off the bridge. The footage shows Holgerson’s arms and legs flailing as she falls through the air.
Holgerson fell more than 50 feet, puncturing both lungs and breaking five ribs, according to a local news report. The teen said she has also suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and insomnia, the newspaper reported.
During an interview with “Good Morning America” last August, Smith claimed Holgerson had asked her to give a push while on the bridge.
“I didn’t think about the consequences,” Smith said. “I thought she’d be fine.”
Smith must also pay a $300 fine and have no contact with Holgerson for two years, NBC News reported.
The teen was previously expected to serve no jail time as part of her initial plea deal. She was expected to serve 60 days of electronic home confinement, 30 days of community work crew and 30 days of community service, according to ABC News.
Holgerson’s mother, Genelle, asked the judge to sentence her to jail time, the network reported.
“Taylor didn’t just give Jordan a little push,” Genelle Holgerson. “I ask that she stay in jail as long as my daughter was in that hospital bed.”
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