On Tuesday, South Dakota’s House of Representatives voted to impeach Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg, who has said he has no intention to resign before a Senate vote.
Voting 36 to 31, the state House issued articles of impeachment for Ravnsborg, 45, who in September 2020 fatally struck Joe Boever, 55, on the shoulder of Highway 14 near Highmore as Boever walked to his truck, which had been damaged in a collision earlier that day. The state Senate will vote on the matter, which will determine whether Ravnsborg will be formally removed from office, according to the Argus Leader.
Following the accident, Ravnsborg called 911 claiming he believed he had hit a deer. Hyde County police responded to the scene and did not find anything, leading Sheriff Mike Vole to lend Ravnsborg his personal vehicle so he did not have to wait for a tow truck.
The following day, Ravnsborg returned to the crash site while en route to returning the car and discovered Boever’s body.
It remains unclear whether Boever died instantly or if he succumbed to his injuries.
While Ravnsborg claimed he hit a deer, police later confronted him about Boever’s glasses being in his car. The attorney general denied knowing about the glasses.
“His face was in your windshield, Jason. Think about that,” a detective says in a recorded interview. “We know his face came through your windshield.”
In February 2021, Ravensborg was charged with careless driving in connection with the deadly accident. Despite this, he remained in office.
According to the Argus Leader, the state Senate will hold a trial no sooner than May 2 now that the House has adopted articles of impeachment. Ravnsborg must leave office until the trial concludes.
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[Featured image: Jason Ravnsborg/South Dakota Attorney General’s Office]
