US official kills pedestrian, but reports as hitting deer instead

An official in the US state of South Dakota reported hitting a deer with his car, when in fact he struck and killed a pedestrian whose body was not found until the next day, authorities said Monday.

Jason Ravnsborg, a 44-year-old elected official who serves as the state's attorney general, said in a statement that he was cooperating with the investigation and offered his sympathies to dead man's family.

Though he was struck on Saturday, the victim, 55-year-old Joseph Boever, was not found until Sunday.

Ravnsborg, who was driving home alone from a Republican fundraiser, reported to police he had been involved in a "car-deer crash", state authorities said.

The attorney general's spokesman Tim Bormann said Ravnsborg called emergency services at "approximately 10:24 pm and informed authorities that he had struck something", the New York Times reported.

Bormann also said Ravnsborg does not usually drink alcohol at political events.

The victim's family voiced fears that the case would be covered up, including a possible hit-and-run.

They were outraged at not having been called until Sunday night to identify the body of their loved one.