Teen who pushed friend off bridge pleads not guilty in first court appearance

Smith was charged with reckless endangerment after being caught on camera pushing her reluctant-to-jump, 16-year-old friend off of a three-story bridge. Photo / Instagram

The 18-year-old woman who was filmed pushing her teenage friend off a 60-foot bridge has pleaded not guilty to reckless endangerment.

Taylor Smith, 18, appeared in Washington state's Clark County District Court for her arraignment Friday, during which she entered her not guilty plea, The Columbian reported.

Smith had been charged with reckless endangerment after being caught on camera pushing her friend, 16-year-old Jordan Holgerson, off the three-storey Moulton Falls Bridge in Yacolt, Washington, on August 7, reports Daily Mail.

Holgerson suffered five cracked ribs and a punctured lung when she belly-flopped into the water. Her other injuries reportedly included a bruised esophagus, an injured trachea and air bubbles in her chest.

In the video, which quickly went viral, Holgerson could be seen standing on top of the bridge with a group of friends gathered behind her and saying that she didn't want to jump, despite her friends' pressuring her to do it.

She could be heard saying "no" shortly before Smith suddenly shoves her off the bridge.

Smith was charged with reckless endangerment after being caught on camera pushing her reluctant-to-jump, 16-year-old friend off of a three-story bridge. Photo / Instagram

In court Friday, Smith was granted supervised release and told that she cannot contact Holgerson or leave the area except to attend school in Lane County, Oregon, The Columbian reported.

Holgerson was among the reportedly large crowd in attendance during Smith's arraignment.

Smith's next court date was scheduled for December 4.

Reckless endangerment is a gross misdemeanor. The maximum penalty is up to a year in jail and/or a $5,000 fine.

After the incident went viral, Smith claimed that Jordan asked her to push her off the Moulton Falls Bridge because she was scared.

Smith told Good Morning America that she never thought about the consequences and thought her friend "would be fine".

"She wanted to jump and she was scared and she asked me to give her a push, I didn't think about the consequences," Smith said, revealing that she had tried to apologize to Holgerson multiple times, but was not allowed to see her and told to leave the hospital where Holgerson had been recovering.

Immediately following the incident, Holgerson's family had said that she didn't want her friend, Smith, to be charged. However, she later changed her mind.

"Now that I've thought about it more, I'm kind of wanting her to sit in jail and think about at least what she did," Jordan said in an interview with Today.