Official release from Department of Public Safety on Hyde County Fatal Crash

Hyde County Fatal Crash

WHAT:  Pedestrian-Vehicle Crash
Where:  U.S. Highway 14, One mile west of Highmore, S.D.
When:   10:30 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020
Driver: Jason Ravnsborg, 44, Pierre, S.D., No Injuries
Vehicle: 2011 Ford Taurus
Pedestrian: Joseph Boever, 55, Highmore, S.D., Fatal Injuries

HIGHMORE, S.D. – One man died Saturday night in a pedestrian-vehicle crash west of Highmore.

A 2011 Ford Taurus was westbound on U.S. Highway 14. The driver, 44-year-old Jason Ravnsborg of Pierre, told the Hyde County Sheriff’s Office that he had been involved in a car-deer crash. The driver was not injured

The pedestrian’s body was discovered Sunday morning. He has been identified as 55-year-old Joseph Boever of Highmore.

South Dakota’s Highway Patrol continue to investigate the crash. All information remains preliminary at this point.

The Highway Patrol is part of the South Dakota Department of Public Safety

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12 thoughts on “Official release from Department of Public Safety on Hyde County Fatal Crash”

  1. Does anyone else find his statement of “car-deer crash” suspicious? His mistaking a human for a deer raises the question of where he had his attention. His cruising on without confirming what he hit raises the question of his concern for other living things. Either way, this doesn’t look so good. Bummer all around.

    1. It was pitch black dark out there. I know I have driven many times at night and missed things because of how dark things are. No one knows anything yet so your statement is not supported by facts and has no barring.

      1. So if you hit something as large as a deer, regardless of whether it lived or died at this point, you wouldn’t get out and inspect your vehicle for damage?

      2. I hope you realize I only posited a question, then stated questions in my mind which arose in response to the official report stating the AG told police he was in a car-deer crash. What statement that I made is not supported by facts, then?

        The sky may have been pitch black, but were he driving legally, his headlights would have been active, so I’d say that point is moot.

        I’ve missed things in the dark, too. However, I’ve not missed things I’ve hit with my automobile. Hence my suggesting we wonder why he didn’t stop to confirm what he had hit. I’d suggest someone so confident they hit a deer when they actually hit a human may be someone so arrogant they don’t always question their insufficiently informed assessments.

        I say all the above with a mind open to the possibility he acted in all manner of responsibility driving automobiles requires of us. I don’t presume anything about the guy. Unlike others, I don’t demand he resign or that any particular conviction or penalty hits him.

  2. lost in all this is the fact there were TWO accidents Saturday night. The first was when somebody went off the road and so far into the ditch he hit a bale of hay. Was THAT accident reported?And why did the driver leave the scene of that accident?

      1. it has a lot to do with it. if the original accident had been reported at the same location, law enforcement would have been more likely to investigate, had they known there was other activity at the site. in fact they might have been at the scene with lights to alert other drivers approaching the area while the victim was out there

    1. Your ridiculous, you are comparing accidents that happened hours apart, and one that involved vehicular manslaughter and one that did not.

      But it’s not appreciated that you would like to distract people from the real issue at hand.

  3. I have hit deer and kept driving. It’s SD and deer are everywhere. Why would he necessarily think it was a person? Do you know where it hit on his car? This AG drives to all these events because he cares about SD. I’m tired of those complaining that they don’t have anyone In office who truly CARES about people and then immediately throw a caring elected official under the bus when a disaster occurs. Give it time to find out what happened. Jason served in Iraq and takes time to get school supplies to kids as a side gig to help people. This country is plagued by people just wanting to tear into people the moment they get a chance.

  4. I am so glad there are so many anonymous lawyers and experts of the law commenting. Deeply grateful they all were at the scene and saw it all.

  5. Sometimes a deer will jump out into the road as you’re driving and give you no choice but to hit it.

    But we know that’s not the case with a person. A person walks in a straight line along a road, just like a car. If that’s the case we know that a person would have to be struck by the front of the car, illuminated by the car’s headlights. Under these circumstances, Jason’s claim that he thought it was a deer isn’t particularly credible.

    1. Bingo. He had to have been right in front of the car, whether that was on the road or the shoulder. So AG was distracted, at the very least. Not a good look for top cop to be such a bad driver.

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