Attorney says Temple Terrace officer may have been in pursuit before crash that killed 6-year-old

TEMPLE TERRACE, Fla. (WFLA) — A former Temple Terrace police officer accused of crashing into a car and killing a 6-year-old girl made his first appearance in a Tampa courtroom Friday afternoon. Zachary Krug, 25, appeared before the judge in a wheelchair. Krug's attorney, Ralph Fernandez, said the former officer has already had several surgeries on his right leg and ankle since the April 16 crash. According to investigators, Krug was driving at 104 mph on Fowler Avenue when he hit a Nissan Pathfinder with a 36-year-old Tampa mother and three children inside. The children were ages 1, 6 and 8. Authorities said the driver of the Nissan Pathfinder made a U-turn and entered the path of Krug's unmarked police cruiser just before the two vehicles collided. Everyone involved in the crash was taken to a nearby hospital, where the 6-year-old girl later died. Krug's attorney called the incident a "tragedy," but said there is much more to the story. "We are mindful of the tragedy the family is facing for the loss," Fernandez said. "This was an accident, and this is the preliminary stage. We're checking into some rather evident evidence that he may have been in a pursuit." Fernandez did not elaborate on his claims that Krug may have been in a pursuit but said they are reviewing materials, including videos of the incident. The Florida Highway Patrol said troopers determined that Krug's speed was the primary contributor to the deadly crash. The Temple Terrace Police Department also released a statement Thursday saying that Krug's actions were "not consistent" with the department's policies, and that he was terminated as a result of an internal investigation. "This incident does not reflect the professionalism and commitment demonstrated daily by the members of this department," the police department's statement said, in part. Fernandez disagreed with how the police department characterized Krug's actions. "This is a lose, lose situation for everybody concerned," Fernandez said. "He was an honorable officer. He worked at the sheriff's office as a detention deputy. He comes from an LEO family, military family. Great kid. And I can assure that it's not as it seems." Krug has been charged with vehicular homicide and three counts of reckless driving involving serious bodily injury in relation to the deadly crash. He's being held without bond until another hearing next week, at which point Fernandez said he expects "a lot more" information to come out. "Our prayers are with the [victim's] family, and there's nothing that can undo what has happened," Fernandez said. "I can understand whatever position they take; they're entitled to take. So they're not the enemy by any means at all."