Niki Taylor Talking, Off Respirator

May 17 -- Supermodel Niki Taylor's first words as she was taken off a ventilator after 2 ½ weeks of hospitalization were to ask for a soft drink.

"She wanted a Coke but the good doctor her told her she wasn't allowed to," spokeswoman Lou Taylor, who is no relation to the model, told reporters today outside Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta.

As the 26-year-old supermodel continued her recovery from internal injuries sustained in a near-fatal car crash, police arrested a Georgia man who allegedly tried to extort $8,000 out of her representatives by claiming to have photos of Taylor in her hospital bed.

Not Out of Danger Yet

Taylor was admitted to the hospital early April 29 with what her doctor called "life-threatening" injuries to her liver and duodenum. She was hurt when a car driven by her friend Chad Renegar smashed into a utility pole.

Dr. Jeffrey Nichols told reporters Taylor was taken off the ventilator on Wednesday and is now breathing on her own.

"[She] has been able to speak with her family and friends," he said.

Nichols declined to give specifics of her condition, but said Taylor has made "significant improvement."

He said that given the nature of her injuries, she is halfway through her recovery and hospital stay.

"She's clearly not out of danger, but her spirits are good,"the doctor said.

Pictures Worth Thousands?

The ordeal for her family and friends was made worse by people trying to profit from the accident, Taylor's spokeswoman said.

"We became a little concerned when we found bounties being posted on the Internet for photos of Niki" in the hospital, said Lou Taylor.

The spokeswoman said she was contacted by William Siegelin, 30, of Macon, Ga. He claimed to be a lawyer from a prominent firm and said that for a total of $8,000, he could obtain photos taken of the model in the hospital and prevent their publication, the spokeswoman and police said.

"It became very apparant to me that after the first day that we were dealing with a very fraudulent situation," said Lou Taylor. She said she immediately called in extra security to the hospital and contacted Atlanta police.