A British woman who moved to the United States to be with professional soccer player Indiana Vassilev was in ICU for weeks after reportedly being caught in the middle of a shooting in St. Louis and being dragged for two blocks by a car.
Ellie Bentley, 22, was severely hurt in the incident on Feb. 25 in The Grove neighborhood of St. Louis.
She ran for cover and hid underneath a nearby car, not knowing someone was inside. The car took off to get away from the shooting and started dragging Bentley, the Daily Mail reported.
"She was pretty sure she was going to die as she was dragged underneath the vehicle," Bentley's attorney, Ben Tobin, told the Sun.
A GoFundMe set up by friends says she was caught in the middle of a hit-and-run shooting.
Her parents made it to the States in about 48 hours and have been with her at the hospital.
Bentley has five major reconstructive surgeries and will have additional operations. Her rehabilitation program will be extensive and require significant financial investments, according to her friends.
"Community support will be critical to ensure she receives the level of care necessary for her recovery and continue to cover the increasing expenses of everyday life like rent, food, transportation costs, etc. These financial hardships are compounded by Ellie and her family's non-American citizenship," the fundraiser said.
Bentley moved to the U.S. with now-ex Vassilev, 23, when they left an English league to join St. Louis Football Club in the MLS.
"Even though she only moved to the US within the last year, Ellie has touched the lives of many in St. Louis with her kind heart, generosity, charisma, and fantastic sense of humor," GoFundMe stated.
According to the post, Bentley was in the U.S. on a work visa.
