Unintentional Be-Heading

So the unhealthier of my two girls about 4 weeks into flower had to be chopped today.
nothing really to hang, maybe i could use the scuff and trimmings to make bho...
But Anyways, to why im posting... The other week i was doing some maintenance on the grow area when she got snapped accidentally.
Not a full on break, something akin to an overzelous super-cropping attempt (only ENTIRELY unintentional).
Its a week later, and at the break it hadn't hardened up at all or thickened, still floppy like a head on a neck with no bones.
Whats more the growth above that point (2 feet up a 31/2 foot plant) had started to wither.
Thusly, i figued she was toast and chopped her. More room for the other one, who is getting bushier by the minute.
Was it premature to chop, could i have left the main stalk and lst'd what was left to make the other lower branched come to height?
Or was the death of 1/3 of the plants main stalk the death sentence i had assumed?

Just curious in hindsight, as obviously theres no un-chopping her.

The break was probably too severe. The stem was too damaged to transport nutrients back and forth and began to die.

Why did you cut the whole plant? Removing the damaged area would have been fine and the rest pf the plant probably would have responded with a growth spurt and new flower site production.

I would have smashed the area between my fingers completely. Not snapping it. Just enough to block all nutrients to the top cola. Redirecting them to side branches. Could have turned out into a good topping job.... Imo

From previous experiences and readings, i'd had been under the presumption that this late into flowering topping as ill-advised.
I now realize the chop was premature and an overall rash decision born of frustration at the time...
But now that the healthy ones have more room, as i see them in the surround sans that sickly one hogging up the light,
casting shadow on most of the other 2.... i cant help but think it was for the best.
Outgrew my space fast, and seem to keep outgrowing the expansions i amend as the weeks of flower tick by.

Sounds like you know it was a bit of a no-no, but shit happens. I think you were right to go ahead and take off the piece that was shriveling-- I don't think it would have recovered and the dead foliage would only serve to invite insects. There's never enough space