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Police: Officer not at fault for crash that killed Florida philanthropist and his wife

Longboat Key police said Charles Barancik, 91, was killed when his Tesla was hit by a marked police car.

LONGBOAT KEY, Fla. — Update: A two-month investigation by the Sarasota Police Department Traffic Homicide Division is now complete, and it was determined that Longboat Key Police Officer Jeffrey Vogt was not at fault for the crash that killed Florida philanthropist Charles Barancik and his wife Margery.

An international investigation by the Longgoat Key Police Department found "evidence of officer misconduct involving excessive speed and in-car video recording equipment policies." 

Officer Vogt was fired for those violations.

Original story: 

A prominent South Florida philanthropist and his wife were killed in a car crash involving a police cruiser.

Police say Charles Barancik, 91, and his wife Margery, 83, were in a Tesla driving onto Gulf of Mexico Drive from a home in Longboat Key. A marked Longboat Key Police car was driving south in the 2100 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive when it hit the Tesla, according to a release.

Charles Barancik was pronounced dead at the scene. Margery Barancik was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries and later died Thursday night. 

The officer driving the car was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Police said the officer was responding to call at the time of the crash.

Law enforcement is now investigating.

Anyone with information about the crash is asked to call Officer Tim Bales with the Sarasota Police Department at 941-915-3635.

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