If you killed someone driving, you’d probably go to jail. If you didn’t, or you were released, you might reassess the way you drive, or make an effort to be more responsible behind the wheel. But, not Jason Ravnsborg, who received a pretty sizeable speeding ticket days before he was to stand trial.
Last fall, the South Dakota Attorney General was on his way home from speaking at a Republican function, when he veered off the road and hit 55-year-old Joseph Boever, killing him.
Ravnsborg, the top law-enforcement officer in the state, called police and said he thought he had hit an animal. Boever’s body was not found until the next day when Ravnsborg returned to the highway.
During his interrogation, authorities brought up the fact that Boever’s glasses ended up inside of his car, which would seem to call into question Ravnsborg’s story about how he thought he hit an animal. Police explained to him, “That means his face came through your windshield. His face is in your windshield. Think about it.”
It was determined that he wasn’t speeding at the time, with prosecutors saying two miles over the 65 mph limit didn’t justify a speeding charge. He ended up taking a plea deal. From ABC News:
Instead, they charged him with making an illegal lane change, using a phone while driving and careless driving. Prosecutors dropped the charge of careless driving as part of the plea deal.
Ravnsborg apparently has a history of speeding and ABC News reported that he has received eight tickets in seven years. His latest is a ticket for going 57 MPH in a 35 MPH zone on August 22nd, just days before his trial, for which he owes $177.50 for.
At the trial, the careless driving charge was dropped and Ravnsborg pleaded no contest to the other charges resulting in $500 fines for each one.
The family of Boever said the state’s top cop hasn’t reached out to apologize with Boever’s wife saying “At least it would show he manned up and took responsibility.”