Pitt Co. man sues trooper: Claims he was punched in the face and dragged after seizure-induced crash

A Pitt County man who suffers from epilepsy is suing a state trooper, alleging the officer used excessive force against him after a car crash caused by a seizure.

A Pitt County man who says he suffers from epilepsy is suing a state trooper.

The federal civil rights lawsuit filed on behalf of Thomas Simmons claims Sgt. Ashley Smith punched Simmons in the face and dragged him across gravel and concrete after a car crash in Greenville.

Smith is stationed in Pitt County.

The lawsuit claims that on May 25, 2024, Thomas Simmons had a crash on Highway 33 in Greenville caused by an epileptic seizure. His car sideswiped another and crashed into a utility pole.

The suit claims that Smith knew Simmons had a seizure.

“Instead of helping him, he punched him in the face,” the lawsuit states.

According to the lawsuit, Smith accused Simmons of being on meth. Simmons is also charged with assault on a government official and resisting an officer. Those charges were dropped nearly a year later by the District Attorney’s Office when Simmons’ lawyers said they were taking the case to trial.

WRAL News has reached out to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol with a request for comment.

Source: https://www.wral.com/news/local/pitt-county-man-sues-trooper-seizure-crash-september-2025/