South Dakota AG struck, killed a pedestrian with car; initially said he thought he hit a deer, officials say

Joe Sneve, Sioux Falls Argus Leader
·2 min read

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg told authorities he thought he hit a deer on Saturday night when he struck and killed a pedestrian with his vehicle.

Joseph Boever, 55, of Highmore, South Dakota, was killed after being struck by Ravnsborg's Ford Taurus, the South Dakota Highway Patrol said. The state attorney general called authorities after the crash, telling them he thought he had hit a deer, the state Highway Patrol said.

The incident happened on U.S. Highway 14 at 10:30 p.m. local time Saturday. Boever's body was discovered Sunday morning, according to the South Dakota Highway Patrol release.

The news release doesn't say how long it took Ravnsborg to report the crash.

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Incoming Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg addresses supporters Tuesday, Nov. 6, at the Hilton Garden Inn in Sioux Falls.
Incoming Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg addresses supporters Tuesday, Nov. 6, at the Hilton Garden Inn in Sioux Falls.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem originally announced that Ravnsborg was involved in a fatal crash during a news conference Sunday night, but few details were released.

Tony Mangan, spokesperson for the Highway Patrol, said at the direction of the governor, the Highway Patrol is leading the investigation. The attorney general’s office said investigators from North Dakota are also in South Dakota and assisting in the crash investigation due to the conflict created by Ravnsborg’s role overseeing the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation.

Tire tracks are visible on the side of the highway on Monday, September 14, where Joe Boever's truck sat Saturday night when he was killed while walking back to the vehicle outside of Highmore, SD. Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg was involved in the fatal crash.
Tire tracks are visible on the side of the highway on Monday, September 14, where Joe Boever's truck sat Saturday night when he was killed while walking back to the vehicle outside of Highmore, SD. Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg was involved in the fatal crash.

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Tim Bormann, chief of staff in the attorney general’s office, told the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, part of the USA TODAY Network, via email Monday that Ravnsborg was traveling alone at the time of the crash. He was uninjured.

Ravnsborg “placed the call to 911 right after the accident, my understanding is that he called from the location of his vehicle,” Bormann wrote.

Contributing: Michael Klinski, Sioux Falls Argus Leader

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This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: South Dakota AG Jason Ravnsborg struck, killed pedestrian with vehicle