John Ruff, key figure in Roland Burris perjury investigation, dies in car accident

A key figure in the perjury investigation of U.S. Sen.

Roland Burris died in an automobile accident Monday, authorities in far west-suburban Kendall County confirmed Tuesday.

John Ruff, of Sandwich, Ill., was killed shortly before 3 p.m. when his 2001 BMW convertible crossed an oncoming lane of traffic and collided with a tree while he was driving eastbound on Rogers Road near Oak Brook Road in unincorporated Plano, said Kendall County Sheriff's Deputy Richard Pearson.

A key figure in the perjury investigation of U.S. Sen. Roland Burris died in an automobile accident Monday, authorities in far west-suburban Kendall County confirmed Tuesday.

A car crash is responsible for the death of a key player in the controversy surrounding U.S. Senator Roland Burris and former governor Rod Blagojevich.

Political consultant John Ruff died on Monday afternoon when his BMW convertible smashed into a tree in Kendall County in northeast Illinois.

Police say they don't know why Ruff drove off the road, but alcohol isn't to blame.

A witness in a perjury case involving the president's former Senate seat is killed in a single-vehicle crash.

And the briefcase where he kept his key documents might be missing.

It's the stuff of political thrillers, and the family of a former Roland Burris ally says that scenario makes them suspicious about a fatal Kendall County crash.

John Ruff, 42, of Lake Holiday, died on the afternoon of June 8 when his BMW Z-3 ran off Rogers Road on the far western edge of Kendall County. A Kendall coroner's jury ruled the death an accident on Thursday, and police insist it's merely a case of inattentive driving.

Ruff's family, however, still has some questions about the crash.

"Yes, it could been a total accident, but if he was run off ...," said Ruff's sister, Kathy Boydstun. "There was some people very angry when he came forward."