Arrest made in hit-and-run fatality

One month after a hit and run south of Murray resulted in the death of 16-year-old Elmer Borntrager, the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office has made an arrest in the case.

In a press release Dec. 12, the sheriff’s office announced 41-year-old Jacob R. Wright of Grand River was arrested at his residence and booked into the Clarke County Jail. He was charged with involuntary manslaughter, a Class D felony; leaving the scene of an accident, causing death or serious injury, a Class C felony; driving while license denied, revoked or canceled, a simple misdemeanor and failure to provide insurance in an accident, a simple misdemeanor.

On Nov. 12, emergency crews responded to a report of a person who appeared to have been struck by a vehicle in the 2200 block of R-15/130th Ave., just south of Murray. Borntrager had been driving a horse-drawn buggy northbound on R-15 near Forest Street when the rear of the buggy was struck by a vehicle that left the scene. This caused Borntrager to be ejected from the buggy, and he died of his injuries at the scene.

According to court documents, parts of the vehicle were left at the scene, including a right front fender that was silver in color with a black pin stripe. The vehicle was later identified as a 2002 silver Chevrolet Cavalier.

The following morning, an individual contacted the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office to report a vehicle with heavy front-end damage was parked at 210th Street and Warbler Avenue in Union County, approximately 5 miles west of where the collision had occurred. Deputies investigated the car, which was found to be missing its front right fender.

A check of the Cavalier’s VIN number through Iowa DOT records showed it registered to an individual who, upon contact, told deputies they had recently sold the vehicle to Wright. Contact with Wright was attempted, but he could not be located. A witness called the sheriff’s office Nov. 13 to state he had given Wright a ride home the night of the collision and that Wright had been the driver in the fatal crash.

Upon further investigation, deputies learned that Wright had gone to a Murray residence the night of collision. At the residence were two individuals, plus a third who arrived later.

The homeowner stated the Cavalier, with heavy front-end damage, was at the residence there before it was abandoned on 210th Street.

A statement from the homeowner said Wright had mentioned hitting an Amish buggy and had needed assistance in changing a tire and removing registration plates. The homeowner later learned the collision had resulted in a fatality and contacted the sheriff’s office.

A statement from another person at the residence said Wright had driven there asking for a tire. A third person arrived at the residence looking for car parts. Wright was there at the time and gave the Cavalier to the third individual to junk. The individual drove the Cavalier away and later parked it on 210th Street.

Wright’s bond has been set at $25,000 cash only for the charges of involuntary manslaughter and leaving the scene of an accident and $300 cash or surety bond for driving with a suspended license.

Wright entered a plea of not guilty to his charges Dec. 12. A pretrial conference is set for Dec. 23 at the Clarke County Courthouse.

The Clarke County Sheriff’s Department reminds the public that criminal charges are an accusation, and Wright is presumed innocent until proved guilty in a court of law.