Dakota County Sheriff's Office, Minnesota
End of Watch: Tuesday, July 16, 1996
Age: 36
Tour of Duty: 15 years
Badge Number: 1140
Cause of Death: Vehicular assault
Date of Incident: July 15, 1996
Weapon Used: Automobile; Alcohol involved
Suspect Info: Sentenced to 4 years
Deputy Sheriff Luther Klug was killed when a drunk driver ran a stop sign and struck his patrol car on the driver's side at the intersection of Highway 316 and 200th Street, in Hastings. The impact of the crash pushed the patrol car into a nearby ditch.
Deputy Klug was flown to Ramsey County Medical Center where he died shortly after 1:00 am.
The 37-year-old suspect was convicted of vehicular homicide and sentenced to only four years in jail. He fled from his previous home in Oklahoma a year earlier to avoid a drunk driving charge.
Deputy Klug had served with the Dakota County Sheriff's Office for six years and had served in law enforcement for a total of 15 years. He was survived by his wife and son.