A newly filed federal lawsuit says a Knox County deputy turned a routine Corbin traffic stop into a deadly collision, using his patrol cruiser "as a deadly weapon" and killing a young father last summer. The complaint, filed April 17, 2026, names Deputy John Michael "Mikey" Ashurst, Sheriff Mike Smith, and Knox County. It was lodged in federal court by civil-rights firm Loevy & Loevy on behalf of the family of 21-year-old Todd St. John, who died after the July 24, 2025, crash. Plaintiffs say they want the deputy and the county held accountable for the collision that left St. John dead.
What the complaint says
According to the federal complaint, Ashurst initiated a traffic stop on a side-by-side UTV in Corbin, then chased the vehicle and intentionally rammed it. The filing alleges the impact forced the UTV off the roadway, causing it to overturn, and that the deputy recklessly used his cruiser "as a deadly weapon" without any legal justification.
The lawsuit also seeks damages from Knox County, accusing the sheriff's office of negligent hiring, training, and supervision. Plaintiffs' attorneys tell reporters Ashurst never radioed the stop or pursuit into dispatch, and argue that his personnel history and a prior wrongful-death lawsuit bolster their claims that the county should have known he posed a risk. According to FOX56.
Crash and the state probe
Kentucky State Police say the crash happened around 9:30 p.m. on July 24, 2025, along Southeast Business Drive in Corbin, when the side-by-side UTV and a Knox County deputy cruiser collided, and the UTV flipped. St. John, the 21-year-old driver, was taken to Baptist Health in Corbin and later pronounced dead. His passenger, 20-year-old Jerry Stewart, had only minor injuries.
State Police handled the collision reconstruction and presented their findings to a grand jury as part of an ongoing investigation. As reported by WYMT.
Officer record and county liability claims
The lawsuit also digs into Ashurst's work history, arguing his past should have raised alarms before he was hired in Knox County. The complaint alleges Ashurst was previously placed on forced leave in Laurel County, fired by the Livingston Police Department, and declined for rehire by Harlan County.
Plaintiffs point to that record, along with a previously settled wrongful-death suit, as evidence that the sheriff's office negligently hired, trained, and supervised him. The filing asks a federal jury to decide whether those decisions helped create the conditions that led to St. John's death. According to FOX56.
Legal path ahead
For now, two tracks are unfolding at once. On one side is the federal civil lawsuit, which centers on whether Ashurst's actions and the county's personnel practices violated the plaintiffs' rights. On the other hand is the state criminal inquiry, where the Kentucky State Police have already presented their investigation to a grand jury as part of a criminal review.
Any potential criminal outcome would move independently of the civil case, and the pace of the federal suit will depend on the court's schedule, along with how quickly motions, responses, and hearings are set. As reported by LEX18.
Plaintiffs' attorneys say they filed the case to force accountability and let a jury decide whether the deputy's conduct, and the county's supervision of him, were lawful. The complaint is still in its early stages, so the civil timeline will become clearer as the federal court processes initial filings and the state police investigation moves forward. Local readers who want to follow what happens next can keep an eye on court dockets and Kentucky State Police releases for developments in both the criminal and civil proceedings.
