British ex-girlfriend of US soccer star fighting for her life after being shot in St. Louis gunfight speaks out from hospital as well-wishers donate $18k to her recovery
The ex-girlfriend of an American football star fighting for her life after a horror collision has broken her silence weeks after she was caught in a shootout on the streets of St. Louis.
Ellie Bentley, 22, suffered horrific injuries that led to five major reconstructive surgeries after she was run over and dragged across the street on February 25 by a driver fleeing a shooting.
After finally regaining consciousness on Saturday after weeks in intensive care, Bentley told her supporters on Instagram on Tuesday: “I appreciate all the kindness.”
The British woman, who moved to the US last year with her then boyfriend Indiana Vassilev, hid under a vehicle when a gunfight broke out, causing the driver to drive away with Bentley in tow.
a GoFundMe has since surpassed $18,000 to help her family’s mounting medical bills, which the fundraiser says have been “exacerbated by Ellie and her family’s non-U.S. citizenship.”
Ellie Bentley, 22, from England was involved in a life-threatening hit-and-run incident in St. Louis, Missouri, after becoming involved in a shootout in February
Bentley’s ex-boyfriend was Indiana Vassilev, pictured, who joined MLS side St. Louis FC. He previously played for Aston Villa
The bullets started flying in St. Louis’ eclectic Grove neighborhood
When Bentley was injured, police responded to the scene as early as 2:52 a.m. after reports of shots fired, which came after a group allegedly tried to get into the wrong car.
The confusion prompted 35-year-old Andre T. Wilson to open fire on the group, hitting a 25-year-old man five times in the chest, according to Wilson’s arrest affidavit reported by First warning 4.
Wilson is then said to have fled the scene on foot, while the victim was rushed to hospital in a critical but stable condition.
At the same time, witnesses reportedly apprehended officers after Bentley was struck in the collision before being dragged several blocks down the street.
The alleged driver of the vehicle was quickly identified as Dionte Taylor, 25, who was charged with leaving the scene of an accident causing bodily harm.
Prosecutors then charged Wilson a week after the shooting with first-degree assault, armed criminal action, unlawful use of a weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm. He is being held without bond.
Bentley was rushed to hospital after suffering several broken limbs and was placed in intensive care for two weeks before finally being released on Saturday.
She has since undergone five major reconstructive surgeries and will undergo more surgeries in the near future.
Her family has since traveled from Britain to be by her side as she continues to recover GoFundMe page set up to help pay for rising medical costs.
On the night Bentley was injured, Andre T. Wilson (pictured), 35, reportedly opened fire on a group when they tried to get into the wrong car. As Bentley took cover, the shooting led to another driver speeding away and hitting her, leaving her injured on the road
Bentley was dragged under a car for two blocks; she had moved to the US with her then-boyfriend, Indiana Vassilev, who played for St. Louis FC
Ellie Bentley had recently graduated from York University with a degree in mathematics and physics
The 22-year-old had moved to the US with her Premier League boyfriend. Although they no longer appear to be together, she remained in St. Louis
However, her attorney, Ben Tobin, said her road to recovery will be long.
βShe had just gotten out of a car when the shooting started,β he explained The sun.
βShe ducked behind another vehicle until the shooting stopped, but then the person whose car she was hiding behind floored her, hit her, ran her over and dragged her for a few blocks.β
Tobin said Bentley had no connection to any of the parties involved in the shooting and was simply an unfortunate bystander.
“She was pretty sure she was going to die when she was dragged under the vehicle,” he said.
“The whole time she was laying there trying to hold on and do what she could so she didn’t get thrown under the wheel.”
Tobin noted how video footage appeared to show that the driver who struck Bentley was well aware of her presence as he fled the scene, running her over in the process.
βBased on the video, there is no way the person who hit, ran over and dragged her could claim that he did not know she was under the vehicle when he left,β he said.
A witness to the horror crash, Mollie Schwein, said she was woken in the early hours of the morning by screams coming from outside her nearby apartment.
βI heard him scream, ‘I’ve been shot,’ and it became very real,β she said First warning 4.
Schwein added that she heard several women screaming in the street when police arrived at the shooting, and another witness said they saw employees at a nearby bar run over to help Bentley on the street.
Caught in the crossfire, Bentley was trapped under a nearby car and injured when the driver took off and dragged her down the road for two blocks.
‘Like most 22-year-olds, I loved dancing, going to the gym and yoga, and spent two to three hours a day on physical fitness. Now I cannot move my legs or my right arm,β Bentley said in a statement through her attorney
Originally from Savannah, Georgia, Vassilev played two seasons with Inter Miami before signing with St. Louis City in 2023
Bentley, originally from Bingham, east of Nottingham, moved to Missouri last year when Vassilev, 23, joined MLS side St. Louis FC.
Originally from Savannah, Georgia, Vassilev signed for Villa from 2020 but made just four appearances with the team after being loaned out to play for Burton Albion and then Cheltenham Town.
He eventually returned to the United States in 2021 and played two seasons with Inter Miami before signing with St. Louis City last year.
Bentley graduated from York University last summer with a degree in mathematics and physics.
‘Like most 22-year-olds, I loved dancing, going to the gym and yoga, and spent two to three hours a day on physical fitness. Now I cannot move my legs or my right arm,β Bentley said in a statement through her attorney.