Witness recalls Janklow crash

| Sunday, August 24, 2003

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SIOUX FALLS (AP) — Terry Johnson said he and his friend Randy Scott did not have a destination in mind when they set out for a weekend motorcycle ride the day Scott was killed in a crash involving Rep. Bill Janklow.

"We didn't have any particular route that we were going for, we were just going to go for about an hour ride," said Johnson, of Luverne, Minn.

Janklow, 63, was driving the car that collided with Scott's motorcycle at the intersection of Moody County highways 13 and 14 on Saturday near Trent. Scott, 55, of Hardwick, Minn., died at the scene.

An accident report indicates Janklow was going between 70 mph and 75 mph on a 55 mph road when he failed to stop at a stop sign. He suffered a head injury and fractured his right hand.

Johnson said they were going west and he was riding ahead of Scott on Highway 14. They had just passed a motor home before coming to the intersection. Johnson went through first only seconds before Scott and didn't see the crash.

"I noticed that he was behind me going into the intersection," Johnson told Sioux Falls television station KSFY. "As we passed through the intersection, I glanced again to see if he was going to come up along side of me or not and his headlight wasn't there."

When he saw debris in his rearview mirror, he knew there was a problem and turned around to help.

"I went out into the bean field to look for Randy to see if I could assist him somehow, and I found him out there, and I believe he was dead at impact," said Johnson.

Knowing that mere seconds determined Scott's fate and his own has been unsettling, said Johnson.

"I think it was a split second between Randy leaving this earth and me, so I do feel a little guilt. Why was it him and not me. And I feel at times that maybe it should've been me and not him."

Johnson said he was not angry with Janklow.

"My heart goes out to the Scott family and their friends and everybody around them for the loss of Randy including myself. And also to Mr. Janklow and his family and friends. This has got to be a tragedy for them too."

Meanwhile, troopers investigating the fatal crash have found no evidence of a third vehicle at the time of the collision, a state Highway Patrol official said Thursday.

According to the accident report, Janklow "stated there was a vehicle in his lane of traffic and he had to make an evasive maneuver to avoid the vehicle."

"That (claim of another vehicle) was based on a statement that we got," said Capt. Jeffrey Talbot of the South Dakota Highway Patrol.

However, the investigation remains open, he said.

Janklow's son, Russ Janklow, has said his father was confused following the accident.

"I knew that night from my discussion there was no other vehicle," the younger Janklow said. "I'm not going to say there wasn't a car. I wasn't there. My dad at this stage doesn't have a great recollection about what happened."a