Pictured: Driver who ‘hit British ex-girlfriend of US soccer star’, 22, before ‘dragging her under his car for two blocks and leaving her fighting for her life in hospital after gunfight’

A driver is now on camera for allegedly hitting the British ex-girlfriend of an American football star before dragging her two blocks under his car.

Ellie Bentley, 22, from Bingham, east of Nottingham, was left fighting for her life in hospital after suffering horrific injuries that led to five major reconstructive operations on February 25.

She hid under a vehicle when a gunfight broke out in the US city of St. Louis, Missouri. The gunfire caused 25-year-old Dionte Taylor to reverse the car and drive away, dragging Bentley under the car for two blocks. Sun reports.

The shootout is said to have started after a man tried to get into the wrong car, prompting Andre Wilson, 35, to open fire, hitting the 25-year-old man five times in the chest, his spokesman said. arrest report.

Alleged driver Taylor has been charged with leaving the scene of an accident causing bodily harm, while Wilson was charged 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.

Ellie Bentley had recently graduated from York University with a degree in mathematics and physics

Andre Wilson (pictured), 35, allegedly opened fire on a group as 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’s ex-boyfriend is Indiana Vassilev (pictured), who joined MLS side St. Louis FC. He previously played for Aston Villa

After finally regaining consciousness on Saturday after weeks in intensive care, Bentley told her supporters on Instagram on Tuesday: “I appreciate all the kindness.”

a GoFundMe has since surpassed £14,000 to help her family’s mounting medical bills, which the fundraiser says have been “exacerbated by Ellie and her family’s non-US citizenship.”

Bentley moved to the US last year with her then boyfriend and footballer Indiana Vassilev, who previously played for Aston Villa.
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.

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

The bullets started flying in St. Louis’ eclectic Grove neighborhood

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

However, her attorney, Ben Tobin, said her road to recovery will be long. “She had just gotten out of a car when the shooting started,” he explained The sun.

“She 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.”

Tobin said Bentley had no connection to any of the parties involved in the shooting and was simply an unfortunate bystander.

He added that the recent college graduate thought “she was going to die.”

“The whole time she was laying there trying to hold on and doing what she could so she didn’t get thrown under the wheel,” he said.

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.

“Based 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,” he said.

A witness to the horror crash, Mollie Schwein, said she was woken in the early hours of the morning by screams from outside her nearby apartment.

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

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.

Originally from Savannah, Georgia, Vassilev played two seasons with Inter Miami before signing with St. Louis City in 2023

‘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,” Bentley said in a statement through her attorney

“I heard him scream, ‘I’ve been shot,’ and it became very real,” 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.

Bentley 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,” Bentley said in a statement through her attorney.