Charges against the teen driver involved in the crash that killed 60-year-old Galena resident Gary LaTurner in 2023 have been dismissed.

The Cherokee County Attorney’s Office released a statement on the case on Friday. The statement indicates that an investigation by the Kansas Highway Patrol found that LaTurner had been walking in the roadway when he was struck by a vehicle driven by Rocco Joseph, who was a juvenile when the accident occurred in August 2023. The driver was found not to be liable in the collision.

Following the accident, the teen notified his father 54-year-old John H. Joseph. John Joseph prevented his son from taking further actions to alert authorities. He was prosecuted and found guilty of criminal interference in the investigation and sentenced to 12 months probation last week.