VENICE, Fla. — A popular and respected Minnesota judge was on vacation and out for a morning run Monday when she was struck by a vehicle and killed, her family told a Twin Cities media outlet.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that the family of St. Louis County Circuit Court Judge Sally Tarnowski confirmed she died after being hit by a vehicle while jogging Monday morning on vacation in Venice, Florida.
Family members offered no additional details.
That information is supported by KARE 11's sister station WTSP, who confirmed with Venice police that a female pedestrian did die Monday following an incident involving a vehicle. Department spokesperson Lorraine Anderson said she could not provide any more information due to Florida's strict statutes on releasing information involving traffic crashes.
Tarnowski was just 63 years old, a veteran jurist who was a pioneer in establishing mental health treatment court, which offers offenders a pathway out of the justice system by completing a treatment program to stop behaviors that led that offender to court.
She was also a supporter of early neutral evaluation in family court, which works towards prompt dispute resolution for custody, parenting time, and financial matters.
“All of us within the Minnesota courts community are devastated by the loss of Judge Tarnowski,” said Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie Gildea in a released statement. “Beyond her exemplary service to Minnesota, Judge Tarnowski was a vibrant person whose commitment to justice shined through in everything she did.”
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