Teen pushed off Wash. bridge says friend accused of shoving her should face jail time

The Kalama teen who broke six ribs and punctured a lung after falling off a 60-foot bridge near Moulton Falls said the friend accused of pushing her should be "put away for a little bit."

In an interview with NBC's "Today," Jordan Holgerson, 16, told anchors Kate Snow and Craig Melvin that she never asked Taylor Smith to push her off the bridge Aug. 8.

"I can't imagine asking Taylor to push me off a bridge," she said.

Smith, 18, on Friday was charged with reckless endangerment by the Clark County Prosecuting Attorney's Office. The two teens had traveled to Moulton Falls County Park with friends when some of them decided to try jumping off the bridge, court documents say.

Holgerson hesitated when her turn came. Smith then began to egg her on, video published by NBC News shows. After a bit of back-and-forth, Smith lunges forward and pushes Holgerson, who flails as she falls 60 feet to the water below.

In addition to the broken ribs and punctured lung, Holgerson also has air bubbles in her chest and suffered "siginificant trauma to large portions of her skin surface," according to court records.

Smith admitted to pushing Holgerson in an interview with Clark County officials. According to court records, the 18-year-old "engaged in conduct which created a substantial risk of death and resulted in serious physical injury" to Holgerson.

The teens were good friends for about a year before the incident, Holgerson told Snow and Melvin. She also said Smith should face jail time.

"I just wanted Taylor to be put away for a little bit so that she can think about what she did and about her actions," Holgerson said.

Holgerson told "Today" that her family would ask Smith to pay for her hospital stay. Asked if she would sue for damages, the Kalama teen said: "If it gets to that point, maybe."

 

--Eder Campuzano | 503.221.4344
ecampuzano@oregonian.com

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.