PIERRE, S.D.—A former South Dakota man charged in a 2008 crash that killed a passenger and an unborn child has pleaded not guilty to drug charges.
Twenty-three-year-old Ross Big Eagle of Denver faces misdemeanor counts of possessing and ingesting a small amount of marijuana. The defense says Big Eagle has doctor approval in Colorado to use marijuana for medical purposes related to the Oct. 31, 2008, fatal crash.
Court documents say Big Eagle was the driver in the one-vehicle crash in northern Hughes County. A 28-year-old passenger, Rex McClelland of Pierre, was killed. A female passenger was seriously injured and lost her unborn child.
KGFX says Big Eagle faces a January trial on vehicular homicide and other charges. A status hearing on the drug counts is set for Oct. 7.
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Information from: KGFX-AM,
