US Premier League star's ex-girlfriend, 22, is left fighting for life after being dragged under a car for two blocks in horror hit-and-run while hiding from terrifying shootout in St. Louis

The ex-girlfriend of an American soccer star is fighting for her life following a horror hit-and-run after being caught up in a shootout on the streets of St. Louis.

Ellie Bentley, 22, finally regained consciousness on Saturday after spending two weeks in the ICU following the incident at 3am on February 25.  

The British woman, who moved to the US last year with her then-boyfriend Indiana Vassilev, was exiting her car when a gun battle broke out.

Bentley dashed for cover and hid underneath a nearby vehicle as the bullets began to fly in the Grove neighborhood of St. Louis.

But unbeknownst to her, the car she was seeking refuge under was occupied with a male driver making a getaway in a bid to escape the pandemonium. 

Ellie Bentley, 22, from England was involved in a life-threatening hit-and-run incident in St. Louis, Missouri, after getting caught up in a gun battle in February

Bentley's ex-boyfriend was Indiana Vassilev, pictured, who joined MLS side St. Louis FC. He had previously played with Aston Villa

The bullets began to fly in the eclectic Grove neighborhood of St. Louis

Police responded to the scene on February 25 at 2:52am following reports of shots fired, after a group reportedly attempted to get into the wrong car. 

The mix-up led 35-year-old Andre T. Wilson to allegedly open fire on the group, hitting 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 rushed to hospital in critical but stable condition. 

At the same moment, witnesses reportedly flagged down responding officers after Bentley was struck in the 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 that caused 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 having suffered 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 have additional operations in the near future.

Her family has since traveled from the UK to be by her side as she continues to make a recovery, with a GoFundMe page set up to help pay for mounting 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 shooting led another driver to speed off and strike her, leaving her injured in the road 

Dionte Taylor, 25, has been charged after allegedly hitting Bentley as he fled the scene of the shooting 

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

Ellie Bentley had recently graduated from the University of York with a degree in maths and physics

The 22-year-old had moved to the US with her premier league star boyfriend. Although they appear to no longer be together, she remained in St. Louis

However, her attorney, Ben Tobin, said her path to recovery will be a long one.

'She had just gotten out of a car when the shooting started,' he explained to The Sun. 

'She ducked down behind another vehicle until the shooting stopped, but then the person whose car she was hiding behind floored it, hit her, ran her over, and dragged her for a couple of blocks.'

Tobin said Bentley had no connection to either party involved in the shooting and was simply an unfortunate bystander. 

'She was pretty sure she was going to die as she was dragged underneath the vehicle,' he said.

'For the entire time, she was lying there trying to hold on and do whatever she could so she didn't end up getting kicked out under the wheel.'

Tobin noted how video footage appeared to show the driver who hit Bentley was well aware of her presence when he fled the scene, running her over in the process.

'Based on the video, there's no way for the individual that hit her and ran her over and dragged her to argue that he did not know that she was underneath the vehicle when he took off,' he said. 

A witness to the horror hit-and-run, Mollie Schwein, said she was woken up by screaming in the early hours of the morning from outside her nearby apartment., 

'I heard him yell, 'I've been shot', and it became very real,' she told FirstAlert4. 

Schwein added that she heard several women shouting down the street as police arrived at the shooting, and another witness said they saw employees at a nearby bar run over to help Bentley on the street. 

Caught up in the crossfire, Bentley was underneath a nearby car and was injured when the driver took off and dragged her along the road for two blocks

'Like most 22-year-olds, I enjoyed dance, going to the gym, and yoga, and devoted two-to-three hours a day to physical fitness. Now I can't move my legs or my right arm,' Bentley said in a statement through her 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. 

When she moved, she shared on a Facebook group for Brits moving to the US that she was 'actively looking for a position in St Louis,' and was being helped with her visa paperwork by her boyfriend's football club.

She said at the time that she was looking for positions in the 'university, non-profit or government research field'. On her GoFundMe, it was said that she had a work visa, however it is unclear where she began working. 

Vassilev, originally from Savannah, Georgia, signed with Villa from in 2020 but only made four appearances with the team after being released on loan to play for Burton Albion and then Cheltenham Town.

He finally made a return to the States in 2021 playing 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 dance, going to the gym, and yoga, and devoted two-to-three hours a day to physical fitness. Now I can't move my legs or my right arm,' Bentley said in a statement through her lawyer.