YouTube/Ashley Mahree
Jordan Holgerson was shown on video being pushed off of the Moulton Falls Bridge in Washington. The shocking video was recorded on August 8 at the bridge in Yacolt, Washington, 40 miles north of Portland, Oregon, according to a Longview Daily News report. The video shows Holgerson standing on the edge of the bridge in a bathing suit, hesitating to jump in, after her friends count her down. During the hesitation, a woman, who has been identified as Taylor Smith, 18, leans forward and pushes Holgerson off of the bridge. Holgerson falls flat on to the water of the East Fork of the Lewis River.
You can watch the full video here:
Holgerson is a student at Kalama High School where she is on the honor roll. Holgerson has a twin brother as well as two older siblings. Speaking to KGW, Holgerson said, “I could’ve died. In midair I think I might’ve blacked out. I was awake and aware when I hit the water… I have five broken ribs, air bubbles in my chest, and I have a punctured lung.” Holgerson added that she could have drowned if someone had not swam out to help her.
Holgerson’s mother, Genelle, told the Daily News her daughter “is lucky she is not paralyzed or dead. We’re lucky she is going to recover and not have permanent injuries.” Holgerson, 16, suffered multiple injuries and is being treated at the PeaceHealth Southwest Washington Medical Center. Holgerson’s mother implored the woman who pushed her daughter to come forward to police. Genelle Holgerson said the woman who pushed her daughter is an adult who was impatient at being forced to wait as Holgerson hesitated. Holgerson’s mother added, “I’m very upset with her. She is an adult, and I’m sure she should have known better. She could have killed my daughter.”
The case is being investigated by the Clark County Sheriff’s Office. In a separate interview with KATU, Genelle Holgerson said, “My daughter’s gonna have a long recovery and I think she should just turn herself in – realize what she did wrong. This is not okay. She could have killed my daughter.” According to her Facebook page, Genelle Holgerson works at the PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center.
Smith is not yet facing charges. You can read more about Taylor Smith here.
Facebook/Jordan Holgerson
Holgerson told KGW that the woman who pushed her has apologized but added, “It could’ve ended a lot worse.” The Clark County Public Works page says that the bridge is over three stories tall. The Columbian reported in 2017 that a Vancouver man was injured after a jump from the bridge. Clark County Fire Chief Ben Peeler told the newspaper at the time about jump off the bridge, “You’ve got to land in there just right or you can get hurt. Every summer we have a couple of people out there who get hurt, and people do drown.”
