A driver who allegedly hit the British ex-girlfriend of an American soccer star before dragging her under his car for two blocks has now been pictured.
Ellie Bentley, 22, from Bingham, east of Nottingham, was left fighting for her life in hospital after suffering horrific injuries that have led to five major reconstruction operations on February 25.
She hid under a vehicle when gunfire erupted in the American city of St. Louis in Missouri. The shooting caused Dionte Taylor, 25, to allegedly reverse the car and speed away, dragging the Bentley under the car for two blocks, Sun reports.
The standoff reportedly broke out after a man tried to get into the wrong car, after which Andre Wilson, 35, opened fire, hitting the 25-year-old man in the chest five times, according to his arrest report.
The alleged driver, Taylor, has been charged with leaving the scene of an accident causing physical injury 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.
The gunfire caused Dionte Taylor (pictured), 25, to reverse his car and speed away, dragging the Bentley hiding below for two blocks, The Sun reports
Ellie Bentley had recently graduated from the University of York with a degree in Mathematics and Physics
Andre Wilson (pictured), 35, allegedly opened fire on a group when they tried to get into the wrong car. As Bentley ducked for cover, the gunfire prompted another driver to swerve and hit her, leaving her injured on the road
Bentley’s ex-girlfriend is Indiana Vassilev (pictured), who joined MLS side St. Louis FC. He had previously played with Aston Villa
After finally regaining consciousness on Saturday after weeks in intensive care, Bentley took to Instagram on Tuesday to tell his followers: ‘I appreciate all the kindness.’
ONE GoFundMe has since surpassed £14,000 to help her family’s mounting medical bills, which the fundraiser said has been ‘compounded by Ellie and her family’s non-US citizenship.’
Bentley moved to the US last year with his then-boyfriend and footballer Indiana Vassilev, who previously played for Aston Villa.
Bentley was rushed to hospital after suffering multiple 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 have additional surgeries in the near future.
Her family have since traveled from the UK to be by her side as she continues to recover, with a GoFundMe page created to help pay for rising medical expenses.
Ellie Bentley, 22, from England was involved in a life-threatening hit-and-run incident in St. Louis, Missouri, after being caught in a gunfight in February
The bullets started flying in the eclectic Grove neighborhood of St. Louis
Bentley was dragged under a car for two blocks; she had moved to the USA with her then boyfriend, Indiana Vassilev, who played for St. Louis FC
But her lawyer, Ben Tobin, said her road to recovery will be long. ‘She had just got 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 it, hit her, ran over her and dragged her a couple of blocks.’
Tobin said Bentley had no connection to any of the parties involved in the shooting and that he was simply an unfortunate bystander.
He added that the recent university graduate thought “she was going to die”.
“The whole time she was laying there trying to hold on and do what she could so she didn’t end up being thrown out from under the wheel,” he said.
Tobin noted how video footage appeared to show the driver who hit the Bentley was well aware of her presence as he fled the scene, running her over in the process.
“Based on the video, there’s no way for the person who hit her and ran her over and dragged her to argue that he didn’t know she was under the vehicle when he took off,” he said.
A witness to the horror, Mollie Schwein, said she was woken by screams in the early hours of the morning outside her nearby apartment.
The 22-year-old had moved to the United States with his Premier League star boyfriend. Although they no longer appear to be together, she stayed in St. Louis
Caught in the crossfire, Bentley was underneath a nearby car and was injured when the driver took off, dragging her along the road for two blocks
Vassilev, originally from Savannah, Georgia, played two seasons with Inter Miami before signing with St. Louis City in 2023
‘Like most 22-year-olds, I enjoyed dancing, going to the gym and doing yoga, spending two to three hours a day on physical fitness. Now I can’t move my legs or my right arm,’ Bentley said in a statement through his lawyer
‘I heard him shout, ‘I’ve been shot’ and it became very real,’ she said FirstAlert4.
Schwein added that she heard several women screaming down the street when police arrived at the shooting, and another witness said they saw employees of a nearby bar run over to help Bentley onto the street.
Bentley moved to Missouri last year when Vassilev, 23, joined MLS side St. Louis FC.
Vassilev, originally from Savannah, Georgia, signed with Villa from 2020 but made just four appearances for the team after being released on loan to play for Burton Albion and then Cheltenham Town.
He finally returned to the United States in 2021 and played two seasons with Inter Miami before signing with St. Louis City last year.
Bentley, meanwhile, graduated last summer from the University of York with a degree in mathematics and physics.
‘Like most 22-year-olds, I enjoyed dancing, going to the gym and doing yoga, spending two to three hours a day on physical fitness. Now I can’t move my legs or my right arm,’ Bentley said in a statement through his lawyer.