Cops: Janklow Speeding Pre-Crash

Congressman Could Face Charges For Deadly Crash With Motorcyclist

(AP)  An accident report estimated that Rep. Bill Janklow was driving 70 mph to 75 mph on a 55-mph county road when he blew a stop sign and struck a motorcycle, killing the biker.

The report increases the possibility of criminal charges against the congressman and former four-term governor, who has exerted enormous political power over South Dakota politics for nearly 30 years.

Janklow, 63, was driving south from Flandreau to his home in Brandon Saturday afternoon when he failed to stop at the stop sign, according to the report released Wednesday by the South Dakota Highway Patrol.

The motorcycle driven by 55-year-old Randolph E. Scott of Hardwick, Minn., collided with Janklow's car, which spun around and ended up in a ditch at the edge of a soybean field.

Scott, who was traveling 55 mph to 60 mph and was not wearing a helmet, was thrown from the motorcycle and landed in a soybean field, the report said. He died from his injuries.

Janklow hurt his hand and head and was briefly unconscious, his son said.

According to the report, Janklow said he had to swerve to avoid another vehicle in his lane. The report listed only his car and the motorcycle.

Russ Janklow said his father was confused after the collision about the details and was unsure what had happened.

"I'm being told by all sorts of people that when you're in a traumatic accident like this, you end up seeing and saying all sorts of things," Russ Janklow told the Sioux Falls Argus Leader.

He said his father was probably inattentive as he approached the intersection, Russ Janklow said.

"The fact that there was not any braking involved tells me my dad didn't see this intersection," Russ Janklow said.

County prosecutor William Ellingson did not say whether he would pursue charges, or what those charges might be.

Second-degree manslaughter can be charged if a death was the result of recklessness. That carries a maximum 10-year prison term and a $10,000 fine.

Vehicular homicide, a felony, only can be prosecuted if drugs or alcohol were involved. The report said neither man had been drinking.

Bill Janklow has long been known for having a heavy accelerator foot, picking up 12 speeding tickets from 1990 to October 1994, just before he began his second stint as governor. He was elected to South Dakota's lone House seat last year.