British ex-boyfriend of American football star fighting for his life after being shot in St. Louis gunfight, speaks out from hospital as well-wishers donate $18,000 for her recovery
The ex-girlfriend of an American football star, who is fighting for her life after a horrific stroke, has broken her silence weeks after being caught up in a shootout on the streets of St. Louis.
Ellie Bentley, 22, suffered horrific injuries that have led to five major reconstructive surgeries after being run over and dragged down the street by a driver fleeing a shooting on February 25.
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.’
The British woman, who moved to the US last year with her then-boyfriend Indiana Vassilev, hid under a vehicle when a gun battle broke out, prompting the driver to speed away with the Bentley in tow.
ONE GoFundMe has since surpassed $18,000 to help her family’s mounting medical bills, which the fundraiser said has been “compounded by Ellie and her family’s non-US citizenship.”
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
Bentley’s ex-girlfriend was Indiana Vassilev, pictured, who joined MLS side St. Louis FC. He had previously played with Aston Villa
The bullets started flying in the eclectic Grove neighborhood of St. Louis
When Bentley was injured, the police already responded to the scene at 2:52 a.m. after reports of gunfire, which came after a group allegedly tried to get into the wrong car.
The mix-up led to 35-year-old Andre T. Wilson allegedly opening fire on the group, striking a 25-year-old man five times in the chest, according to Wilson’s arrest affidavit reported by FirstAlert4.
Wilson then allegedly fled the scene on foot while the victim was taken to the hospital in critical but stable condition.
At the same moment, witnesses reportedly told responding officers after Bentley was hit in a hit and run before she was dragged several blocks down the street.
The alleged driver of the vehicle was quickly identified as Dionte Taylor, 25, who has been charged with leaving the scene of an accident causing physical injury.
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 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.
On the night Bentley was injured, Andre T. 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 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
Ellie Bentley had recently graduated from the University of York with a degree in Mathematics and Physics
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
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 for a few blocks.’
Tobin said Bentley had no connection to any of the parties involved in the shooting and that he 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 lying there trying to hold on and do what she could so she didn’t end up being thrown out from under the wheel.’
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.
‘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.
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
‘Like most 22-year-olds, I enjoyed dancing, going to the gym and yoga and spent 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
Vassilev, originally from Savannah, Georgia, 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.
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 yoga and spent 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.