HIGHMORE, S.D. (KELO.com) — “I had to see it for myself.”
That’s what Nick Nemec, Former Democratic State Lawmaker, told the Dakota Free Press blog about the accident scene that took the life of his cousin, Joe Boever.
“Having read through the comments I feel I must clear up some of the speculation,” said Nemec. “I went to the accident scene to see it for myself and get a better handle on the events surrounding my cousin Joe’s death.”
This is what Nemec told the Dakota Free Press blog:
“The accident happened just into a 65mph zone shortly after it had transitioned from 45mph, a little over 1/4 mile west of the junction of US14 and SD47.
At the time the brakes were applied (clearly visible due to tire skid marks) the right hand tires of the car were well onto the shoulder of the road. This stretch of US14 has wide paved shoulders with rumble strips at the white line.
I stepped off the tire skid marks and they went on for over 200 feet before there were two parallel blood skid marks on the paved shoulder. This first blood marks were about 6″ wide and 6′-8′ long.
There was then a skip for about 20 feet before a wider blood skid mark closer to the edge of the shoulder that was about 1′ wide and 20′ long. There was then another skip of about 20′ until a dried pool of blood in the grass on the edge of the road.
The pool of blood was 2′ from the edge of the pavement (I measured with a tape measure) the grass here had been mowed late this summer and had regrown to 8″ tall (I measured it). This was the very edge of the grass and the ground was nearly level with the shoulder of the road at this point, the ditch slope had not really begun yet. Black flies were buzzing in the air just above the blood pool.
As I stood there a flatbed truck drove by carrying a red Ford Taurus with a huge hole in the passenger side of the windshield. The truck turned into the SD DOT yard near the speed limit sign and drove into the shop and the overhead door quickly closed. Highway patrolmen and other authority figures immediately surrounded my vehicle as I drove up to the building and parked. I requested permission to photograph the windshield of the vehicle and was denied.
The HP told me they were doing another accident investigation and needed the red Ford back in Highmore. I eventually asked permission to leave the DOT yard and permission was granted. I ran some errands in Highmore and left town less than an hour later, by that time US14 was reduced to one lane with a pilot car leading traffic through the accident area, the scene was being investigated for the second time in three days.
I saw traffic cones marking stuff and new paint marks of a different color on the road. I don’t know how long the road was reduced to one lane but a friend told my brother Victor that FBI agents were seen on the scene later that afternoon.”
