North County Times - North San Diego and Southwest Riverside County columnists

North County Times - North San Diego and Southwest Riverside County columnists: "
FLANDREAU, S.D. ---- Prosecutors rested their case Wednesday in Rep. Bill Janklow's manslaughter trial after a witness told the jury that Janklow nearly hit her family at the same intersection where the congressman and a motorcyclist collided.

The bulk of Janklow's defense is planned for Thursday.

Janklow, 64, is charged with manslaughter, reckless driving, running a stop sign and speeding during an Aug. 16 accident at a rural intersection that killed Randy Scott, 55, a motorcyclist from Hardwick, Minn.

Jennifer Walters of Trent testified Wednesday about the close call at the same intersection on Dec. 29.

She and her family were traveling east when a when a speeding white Cadillac ran the stop sign from the south and missed their pickup by mere feet, Walters said.

Walters said she 'heard tires screeching and gravel kicking up,' turned around and saw the car's back bumper. 'I wouldn't doubt that pebbles of gravel hit our truck.'

She called 911 to report it and Moody County Deputy Sheriff Tony Aas said that about 10 minutes later he stopped the Cadillac just outside of Flandreau. Janklow was the driver and he was doing 92 mph in a 65 mph, though the officer locked his radar on at 86, he testified.
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