Feb. 27—GEDDES — The man who died in a single-vehicle rollover crash early Saturday morning was facing life in prison for charges of incest, rape and abuse.

Kenneth Schnabel, 57, of Geddes, was not wearing his seat belt when his vehicle went off the road, two miles east of Geddes, according to the South Dakota Department of Public Safety. He died at the scene of the crash, where the vehicle he was driving went into the ditch, hit an approach and rolled several times at 2:23 a.m.

Schnabel was charged in April 2023 with two counts of first-degree rape of a child under 13 — a Class C felony that carries with it a potential maximum punishment of life in prison and a $50,000 fine. The charges were the most severe of the seven counts he faced, all of which he pleaded not guilty.

A five-day jury trial was scheduled to begin Monday, March 4, but that has since been dismissed.

The South Dakota Department of Public Safety did not have information Tuesday for details as to why Schnabel’s vehicle left the road prior to the crash. The South Dakota Highway Patrol is still investigating. Schnabel was driving a 2014 Chevrolet Equinox.

Court documents allege that between May 15 and Aug. 31, 2018, Schnabel committed two counts of first-degree rape of a victim less than 13 years of age, as well as two accompanying charges of aggravated incest, and three additional charges of sexual contact with a child under 16.