State Rep. Brad Robinson faces felony charge in accident

A Missouri lawmaker was charged with a felony Thursday for allegedly driving away after hitting a man with his pickup truck. Meanwhile, the lawmaker's wife is accused of lying to police by saying she was the driver.

Authorities say a video surveillance camera at a high school captured State Rep. Brad Robinson, D-Bonne Terre, and his wife, Tara, switching seats in the truck moments after the New Year's morning accident.

A special prosecutor appointed in the case, Jack Banas of St. Charles County, filed a charge of leaving the scene of an accident against Brad Robinson, 44. Tara Robinson, 37, was charged with misdemeanor making a false declaration.

Banas said he was unsure why the couple drove away. "Bottom line, if they had stayed there (at the accident scene) it wouldn't be as bad as it is now," he said.

Calls and e-mails to Robinson's home and office on Thursday were not returned.

Emergency crews were called at 1:20 a.m. New Year's Day and told a man was lying on the roadway in Bonne Terre, about 60 miles southwest of St. Louis. The victim, 46-year-old Donald Marler of Desloge, was taken to a hospital in St. Louis.

In a probable cause statement, Bonne Terre police Sgt. William Stegall said officers approached two women at the scene to ask if they saw what happened. Stegall said one of the women, Tara Robinson, said they saw the man in the ditch and tried to help.

A short time later, officers were called to the Robinsons' home. The couple told police Tara Robinson was driving their truck and struck something, then went back to the site and found Marler in the ditch.

But Stegall said police later learned that a video surveillance camera at North County High School recorded the Robinson pickup pulling into the parking lot shortly after Marler was struck. The video shows Brad Robinson getting out from the driver's side and switching positions with his wife, the probable cause statement said.

The couple was interviewed again on Jan. 18 and both admitted that Brad Robinson was the driver, the probable cause statement said.

Stegall said Marler is expected to make a full recovery and is now home from the hospital. A phone message left at his home was not returned.

Robinson was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2004. He is the sixth Missouri lawmaker in about a year to face criminal charges.

State Rep. John Bowman, D-St. Louis, was arrested in January 2007 and pleaded guilty earlier this month to his role in a bank and credit card fraud scheme.

Also earlier this month, a judge reinstated the driving privileges of state Sen. Chuck Graham less than three months after the Columbia Democrat was charged with drunken driving.

In December, former state Rep. Nathan Cooper, R-Cape Girardeau, was sentenced to 15 months in prison and fined $6,000 for an immigration fraud scheme that derailed his political and legal careers. He resigned his legislative seat late last year.

Sen. Jeff Smith, D-St. Louis, and Rep. Joe Aull, D-Marshall, were charged last year with misdemeanors of presenting a false identification at a Boonville casino.