SARASOTA, Fla. - A 12th judicial circuit judge accused of sideswiping another vehicle was cited for careless driving and failure to give information after leaving the scene of an accident. According to a police report, Circuit Judge Thomas Krug told investigators he did not realize he struck the car while attempting to merge into its lane.
Sarasota police investigation
What we know:
The incident occurred on Fruitville Road near Tuttle Road on the morning of August 25. A witness told police that a blue BMW struck a black Kia Forte and immediately drove away from the scene. The driver of the Kia Forte flagged down a nearby police officer to report the crash.
Using surveillance video from a nearby business and a witness’s dash camera, police identified the driver of the BMW as Krug, a judge with the 12th Judicial Circuit of Florida covering Sarasota, Manatee, and DeSoto counties.
When contacted by investigators, Krug stated he was trying to merge into the middle lane when he noticed a car in his path. He claimed he slammed on his brakes, moved left, and assumed that if he had struck anyone, they would have pulled over. According to the report, Krug explained he never saw anybody pull over, so he believed nothing happened.
Investigators noted damage to the passenger side fender of Krug’s BMW that was consistent with the damage on the Kia Forte. Officers issued Krug two citations and closed the investigation, pending any new information.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from a Sarasota Police report.