Where was Morrisville Mayor? Brud Anderson held for trial after he skips hearing
After failing to appear in court, Morrisville’s mayor is headed to trial on misdemeanor charges for fleeing the scene of a traffic accident earlier this year
Following a brief in-absentia hearing Wednesday, Penndel District Judge Daniel Baranoski held Brud Anderson, 50, on all charges including accidents involving death or personal injury and accidents involving damage to an attended vehicle.
Baranoski, who was assigned the case after the Morrisville district judge recused herself, told the court that Anderson and a “local” police chief had contacted the court requesting a third continuance of the preliminary hearing, but he denied it.
Morrisville Police Chief George McClay confirmed in a text message after the hearing that he made the request for Anderson, who was with his mother who was getting medical treatment.
“It was much better for everyone for it to be continued,” McClay said. “Nothing I wouldn’t have done for anyone who is going through what she is going through.”
This news organization was not successful in immediately reaching Anderson for comment after the Thursday hearing. No legal representative for him was listed on the court docket.
Anderson, who has been mayor of the riverfront town since 2021, was arrested in June, two months after the April 13 accident in the borough.
At the hearing Thursday, the New Jersey woman testified that she was headed home traveling south on Delmorr Avenue when a black Sport-Trac made a left turn from northbound Delmorr onto East Trenton Avenue and struck her vehicle. The woman said the Sport-Trac had a red light when the turn was attempted.
The woman said her vehicle’s airbag deployed and her car stalled in the intersection. She described her injuries as bruises over her body and a brush burn on her wrist from the airbag.
The woman said that immediately after the collision she saw the other vehicle back up and turn left onto East Trenton Avenue. At first, she thought the driver was pulling over to get out of the intersection, but then he continued driving westbound on East Trenton Avenue, she testified.
Eight days after the accident, Morrisville police confirmed the Sport-Trac was registered to Anderson, according to authorities. The borough police referred the case for investigation to the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office citing a conflict of interest; Anderson oversees the borough’s police department.
Bucks County Detective Tim Fuhrmann testified Thursday that he reviewed video of the accident captured from cameras at the Delaware River Bridge Commission and the Calhoun Street Bridge.
The videos showed after the accident the black Sport-Trac remained at the scene for less than five-seconds before backing up and speeding away.
When he interviewed Anderson, Fuhrmann testified the mayor admitted to the accident and fleeing the scene. The county detective also inspected Anderson’s vehicle which still had damage from the accident.
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This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Morrisville mayor a no-show at preliminary hearing in accident case
