South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg Will Take Plea Deal in Fatal Crash

South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg will not have to stand trial for killing a man who was walking along a highway in September of 2020.

Dakota News Now and the Associated Press are reporting that Ravnsborg will accept a plea deal on misdemeanor traffic charges, according to Beadle County State’s Attorney Michael Moore, who is one of two prosecutors on the case.

Moore says a judge’s order that bars state officials from discussing details of the investigation prevented him from disclosing further details.

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After the September 12, 2020 incident near Highmore, Ravnsborg told authorities he thought he had struck a deer or another large animal while he was driving home to Pierre from a Republican fundraiser. It wasn't until the next day that the body of 55-year-old Joseph Boever was discovered on the side of the highway where the accident occurred.

Ravnsborg was facing charges on three misdemeanors - operating a vehicle while using a mobile electronic device, illegal lane change, and careless driving. Each carried sentences of up to 30 days in jail and up to a $500 fine.

Boever's widow says she plans to file a wrongful death lawsuit against Ravnsborg.

The attorney general's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.