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Teen who pushed friend off bridge pleads guilty to misdemeanor reckless endangerment

A state prosecutor recommended no jail time for the 19-year-old.
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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 in Vancouver, Washington, where a state prosecutor recommended no jail time. She will be sentenced 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 endangerment about 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.

Image: Taylor Smith
Taylor Smith appears in court.KGW

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

A 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 was in court Monday with her mother, Genelle Holgerson.

After the court hearing, Genelle Holgerson told reporters her daughter has developed anxiety and attends physical therapy for an injured shoulder.

Holgerson expressed disappointment at the judge's decision to delay Smith's sentencing.

"I don't really want to wait til next Wednesday," she said. "I kind of wanted it to be done today."