A Sarasota circuit judge has been cited for careless driving and leaving the scene of a crash after his BMW sideswiped a Kia Forte near Fruitville Road and Tuttle Avenue on August 25. Judge Thomas Krug told investigators he never realized he had hit the other car, according to the citations issued against him.
Sarasota police cited 12th Judicial Circuit Judge Thomas Krug for careless driving and leaving the scene of a crash without exchanging information, as reported by FOX 13 Tampa Bay. The case proceeded through traffic citations. FOX 13's Kimberly Kuizon reported on the case, which included newly released body camera footage recorded shortly after the incident showing the judge explaining why he left the scene.
How Investigators Connected the Judge to the Crash
Sarasota Police officers identified Krug as the driver by reviewing area traffic surveillance and vehicle dashcam footage, then located his BMW and found physical damage that matched the impact evidence from the collision, according to a report shared in a Suncoast News Facebook post. The multi-angle camera work allowed police to resolve the case without the driver having stopped at the scene.
During his initial interview with investigators, Krug acknowledged he had been attempting to merge into an adjacent lane but claimed he never felt the impact or realized he had collided with the other vehicle, the same Facebook post notes. That distinction matters under Florida law, where a driver's actual knowledge of a collision is a central element in hit-and-run cases.
What the Citations Mean Under Florida Law
Leaving the scene of an accident involving property damage to an attended vehicle is classified as a second-degree misdemeanor under Florida Statute § 316.061, carrying penalties of up to 60 days in jail, six months of probation, and a $500 fine, according to Fight Your Case. Separately, careless driving is treated as a civil traffic infraction under Florida Statute § 316.1925, punishable by fines up to $500 and four points on a driver's license when a crash occurs, per Galanter Law.
Krug was first elected to the 12th Judicial Circuit bench in August 2010, succeeding retiring Judge Robert B. Bennett Jr., and took office in January 2011 after a decade working as an attorney and prosecutor, according to Ballotpedia. Before law school, he played quarterback for the University of Notre Dame football team under head coach Lou Holtz in the 1990s, as reported by the Sarasota Observer, before earning his J.D. from Stetson University College of Law in 2000.
Judicial Conduct Questions Loom
Florida judges are subject to the Florida Code of Judicial Conduct, according to the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission. That body investigates off-bench misconduct that could undermine public trust in the judiciary, though whether it will examine Krug's case remains an open question.
Krug presides over Florida's 12th Judicial Circuit Court, which covers a three-county jurisdiction on the Gulf Coast serving Sarasota, Manatee, and DeSoto counties, according to the 12th Judicial Circuit Court. The court serves all three counties.
The Fruitville Road and Tuttle Avenue corridor has drawn prior scrutiny from Sarasota police, including a fatal crash involving a bicyclist on December 1, 2025, according to a report from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. It remains unclear whether Krug will recuse himself or be reassigned from hearing certain criminal or traffic matters while his own citations move through county court.
