SARASOTA, Fla. - Sarasota police cited 12th Judicial Circuit Judge Thomas Krug for careless driving and leaving the scene of a crash without exchanging information near Fruitville and Tuttle roads.
Traffic collision footage
What we know:
A woman told officers a blue BMW tried to merge, hit her car and drove off while a witness tried to flag down the vehicle.
"I saw him by my mirror. When I feel tack tack tack, I go, Oh my God," said the woman seen in police body camera footage.
Police used surveillance video and witness footage to locate Judge Krug.
Courtesy: Sarasota Police Department
During an interview on body camera footage, Krug told officers he was merging, did not realize another vehicle was beside him, and moved along because surrounding traffic kept moving.
"I actually, as I sit here in front of you, have not even checked my car. So, I’m doing work this morning, I get a call from my boss who says the police want to talk to you. She's like, I can't tell you what for, but they want to see your car. In my mind is, Oh crap' did something happen that I didn't think happen." Judge Krug told an officer on body camera footage.
Unknown defense details
What we don't know:
An attorney for Krug has not provided a comment regarding the allegations or the pending traffic charge.
Court case
What's next:
Courtesy: Sarasota Police Department
Following the incident, officials temporarily reassigned Judge Krug from the felony criminal division to the family division.
An outside judge from beyond the 12th Judicial Circuit will be brought in to oversee the legal proceedings with Judge Krug.
The Source: Information was gathered through police reports and body-worn camera footage released by the Sarasota Police Department.