South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg was distracted when he fatally struck a man with his vehicle in September while returning home from an event, officials announced Monday.
The announcement came during a news conference with South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and South Dakota Department of Public Safety cabinet Secretary Craig Price.
Price said investigators are still trying to determine what type of distraction caused Ravnsborg to take his eyes off the road in the Sept. 12 accident. He also said the victim, 55-year-old Joseph Boever, was walking along the shoulder of the road when he was hit.
Price wouldn’t say where Boever’s body ended up.
Much of the investigation into the crash has been completed, with more information expected in the next few weeks.
A reporter asked Noem whether she called for Ravnsborg’s resignation from the AG’s office, but she said she was going to refrain from expressing her personal opinions until the investigation was complete.
The crash report and a photo of Ravnsborg’s vehicle taken a couple days after the crash were also released on Monday by South Dakota officials. The toxicology reports and 911 call were released by South Dakota DPS last month.
In the 911 call, the dispatcher asked Ravnsborg if he possibly struck a deer and he responded that he did not know, later adding that it could have been a deer and that it was right in the roadway.
The toxicology reports showed no drugs or alcohol were found in Ravnsborg’s system, although it should be noted that he took his first toxicology screening more than 12 hours after the collision.
