Texting driver to start time in jail today

ALEXANDRIA — A Fulton man who was found guilty last month of reckless driving in a case involving the death of a 44-year-old Mitchell man is scheduled to begin a 100-day jail sentence today.

Justin Brian Iburg, 21, is scheduled to begin his jail sentence at 7 p.m. at the Hanson County Jail in Alexandria for the reckless driving conviction stemming from a traffic accident that took the life of Jon Christensen on Sept. 20.

Christensen was stopped on his motorcycle behind two other vehicles at a state Highway 38 construction site a few miles east of Mitchell when he was hit from behind by a pickup driven by Iburg.

During his trial last month, Iburg admitted to being distracted by a phone message immediately before his vehicle impacted Christensen’s.

Although a jury found Iburg guilty of reckless driving in the incident, they found him not guilty of seconddegree manslaughter.

Last week, Iburg was sentenced to 100 days in jail, and 260 suspended. He was fined $500 and ordered to pay $84 in court costs.

Judge Sean O’Brien also issued a unique sentence regarding Iburg’s ability to legally drive. The judgment of conviction states Iburg must “agree to not operate a motor vehicle for five years; except he can drive during work hours only, and he is not [to] drive to or from work, and that if the defendant is caught driving he will be in violation of his agreement and this sentence.”

Iburg must also speak to high school classes 25 times about distracted driving.

He will be on probation for two years.

During last month’s two-day trial, O’Brien did not allow testimony about Iburg’s driving record, but a records search revealed Iburg was cited six times for speeding between 2006 and 2010, including a 2007 incident in which Iburg was cited for traveling 23 mph over the speed limit.

Hanson County State’s Attorney Jim Davies said justice had been served “within the limits that we had to work with.”

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