Charged with DUI but had a seizure.

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So I was arrested on my birthday in February 2016 after what I assume to be a seizure. I have had seizures since I was 22 and am now 36. I had been doing well with just having minor issues, but the DMV never suspended my license for at least the last two years. I had an aurora but was unable to totally pull over and ended up pulling over to the wrong side of road and parking. A police officer pulled in behind me as I was getting my self back together. I felt like I was blocking their way so I started to drive again to pull out of their way. I did not know it was police officer because the SUV was so close to me I could see the top of the vehicle. I finally realized it was an police car and I pulled over. When the officer told me what I did, parked on the wrong side of the road, I had no recollection of doing it. They called an ambulance and I did not want to go to the hospital. All I wanted to do was go home. The officer then decided to give me a field sobriety test and I failed and was placed under arrest. I was on my way to work when this was happening so it was 6:30 am. He said I was unsafe to drive. The officer then took me to police station and made me blow. My bac reading was 0.0. So they called a DRE (DRUG RECOGNITION EXPERT) to come in to see if he could find anything. He did a field sobriety test again, had me count to 30 with my eyes close, looking at my pupils in a light room and a dark room and a few other things. He determined I was under the influence of cannabis. I had done it in the past but not recently. It had been three and a half months. I was charged with Driving Under the Influence, careless driving, reckless driving and unsafe lane change. I did hire a lawyer but spending money to hire him, not driving now and going to my doctor to figure what happened has been a real up and down emotional fight with myself. My doctor ended up switching my medication so I'm in the middle of being ween off of oxcarbazepine (Trileptal) put onto keppra. Any experiences, suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Comments

Damn this same thing happen

Submitted by Keanushelton on Mon, 2017-11-20 - 13:18

Damn this same thing happen to me couple days ago but I've never been diagnosed with epilepsy but I had a random seizure and I was charged with ovi, suspected of overdosing on opients. My test came back clear of opients but there was high levels of cannabis. I am a regular user but haven't smoked that day at all. All the stuff I've been through that day, I wish I had. Any suggestions? Ps. They charged me with possession of marijuana but I think they planted that.

The same thing happend to me.

Submitted by Hlmatthews613 on Tue, 2018-04-03 - 06:42

The same thing happend to me. I went to the corner gas station to grab some soda and chips for my daughter n I, I was already in pajamas and planned on being in for the night . when we decided we wanted junk food with the movie, once I arrived at the gas station I felt what I had come to know as signs of a siezure. I had already parked and taken key out of ignition, however didnt feel safe to get out and walk. so I layed my head back on the headrest and closed my eyes trying to calm my breath and wait it out. well I dont know how much time went by, but the next thing I became aware of was a police officer standing outside my window talking in his radio for backup. when I tried to speak to him my speech was impaired. He assumed I was intoxicated and thats what he reported to dispatch so when the other three cars arrived they had already made their minds up that I was drunk.and it went down hill from there . The twenty something year old police rookie rfused to give me a breathalyzer and arrested me based on the fact I couldnt pass a field sobriety test during a seizure. not to mention I have two rods and a plate in my right leg from a tibia fracture and am handicapped . the second I couldnt balance on my right leg with hard ware he slapped hand cuffs on me busted open my elbow and took me to jail. while I was in the holding cell at the court house shackled from feet to hands I had another seizure falling into the old steele bars face first. i broke my nose cracked my skull and had several lacerations on my face and chin. I feel so hard my brain shifted. I was still yelled at called a dumb drunken bitch. by jail house gaurds , and deputys.. There was only one out of at least six or eight employees who was decent to me got me clean paper towels, and sat with me while fire rescue and emt arrived. The rest were to busy running back and forth to watch security footage because they said yeah you were detoxing from drinking and fell asleep thats when you fell. guess youll know better next time you start to drink n drive. they said this repeatedly. while I lie on the floor bleed something fierce. So I have had to hire an attorney to fight the criminal charges before I can even pursue weather or not theres a personal injury case. I had a simular incident before where i again had a seizure outside a department store and employees called saying i was slumped over wheeldrunk and seconds later called back said no she s jerking somethings wrong. but the first responder was a young female police who immediately wanted to arrest me for dui. then an older more seasoned srgt. responded to second call and stopped her he was patient and had enough training to know to ask me things talking to me he realized I was having medical issues . had he mot been there I would have suffered the same fate that was yet to come. I just really feel the officers should be better educated on how to tell the difference and trained to deal with this situation better. So Im sorry to all of you who have liived through this horrific ordeal. But I truly feel victimized for an illness I can not help. I take Kepra for anti seizures however its not a cure. very expensive. So i ask you how much more do we have to suffer before someone pays attention.

The same thing happend to me. I went to the corner gas station to grab some soda and chips for my daughter n I, I was already in pajamas and planned on being in for the night . when we decided we wanted junk food with the movie, once I arrived at the gas station I felt what I had come to know as signs of a siezure. I had already parked and taken key out of ignition, however didnt feel safe to get out and walk. so I layed my head back on the headrest and closed my eyes trying to calm my breath and wait it out. well I dont know how much time went by, but the next thing I became aware of was a police officer standing outside my window talking in his radio for backup. when I tried to speak to him my speech was impaired. He assumed I was intoxicated and thats what he reported to dispatch so when the other three cars arrived they had already made their minds up that I was drunk.and it went down hill from there . The twenty something year old police rookie rfused to give me a breathalyzer and arrested me based on the fact I couldnt pass a field sobriety test during a seizure. not to mention I have two rods and a plate in my right leg from a tibia fracture and am handicapped . the second I couldnt balance on my right leg with hard ware he slapped hand cuffs on me busted open my elbow and took me to jail. while I was in the holding cell  at the court house shackled from feet to hands I had another seizure falling into the old steele bars  face first. i broke my nose cracked my skull and had several lacerations on my face and chin. I feel so hard my brain shifted. I was still yelled at called a  dumb drunken bitch. by jail house gaurds , and deputys.. There was only one out of at least six or eight employees who was decent to me got me clean paper towels, and sat with me while fire rescue and emt arrived. The rest were to busy running back and forth to watch security footage because they said yeah you were detoxing from drinking and fell asleep thats when you fell. guess youll know better next time you start to drink n drive. they  said this repeatedly. while I lie on the floor bleed something fierce. So I have had to hire an attorney to fight the criminal charges before I can even pursue weather or not theres a personal injury case. I had a simular incident before where i again had a seizure outside a department store and employees called saying i was slumped over wheeldrunk and seconds later called back said no she s jerking somethings wrong. but the first responder was a young female police who immediately wanted to arrest me for dui. then an older more seasoned srgt. responded to second call and stopped her he was patient and had enough training to know to ask me things talking to me he realized I was having medical issues . had he mot been there I would have suffered the same fate that  was yet to come. I  just really feel the officers should be better educated on how to tell the difference and trained to deal with this situation better.  So Im sorry to all of you who have liived through this horrific ordeal. But I truly feel victimized for an illness I can not help. I take Kepra  for anti  seizures however its not a cure. very expensive. So i ask you how much more do we have to suffer before someone pays attention. 

The same thing happend to me. I went to the corner gas station to grab some soda and chips for my daughter n I, I was already in pajamas and planned on being in for the night . when we decided we wanted junk food with the movie, once I arrived at the gas station I felt what I had come to know as signs of a siezure. I had already parked and taken key out of ignition, however didnt feel safe to get out and walk. so I layed my head back on the headrest and closed my eyes trying to calm my breath and wait it out. well I dont know how much time went by, but the next thing I became aware of was a police officer standing outside my window talking in his radio for backup. when I tried to speak to him my speech was impaired. He assumed I was intoxicated and thats what he reported to dispatch so when the other three cars arrived they had already made their minds up that I was drunk.and it went down hill from there . The twenty something year old police rookie rfused to give me a breathalyzer and arrested me based on the fact I couldnt pass a field sobriety test during a seizure. not to mention I have two rods and a plate in my right leg from a tibia fracture and am handicapped . the second I couldnt balance on my right leg with hard ware he slapped hand cuffs on me busted open my elbow and took me to jail. while I was in the holding cell at the court house shackled from feet to hands I had another seizure falling into the old steele bars face first. i broke my nose cracked my skull and had several lacerations on my face and chin. I feel so hard my brain shifted. I was still yelled at called a dumb drunken bitch. by jail house gaurds , and deputys.. There was only one out of at least six or eight employees who was decent to me got me clean paper towels, and sat with me while fire rescue and emt arrived. The rest were to busy running back and forth to watch security footage because they said yeah you were detoxing from drinking and fell asleep thats when you fell. guess youll know better next time you start to drink n drive. they said this repeatedly. while I lie on the floor bleed something fierce. So I have had to hire an attorney to fight the criminal charges before I can even pursue weather or not theres a personal injury case. I had a simular incident before where i again had a seizure outside a department store and employees called saying i was slumped over wheeldrunk and seconds later called back said no she s jerking somethings wrong. but the first responder was a young female police who immediately wanted to arrest me for dui. then an older more seasoned srgt. responded to second call and stopped her he was patient and had enough training to know to ask me things talking to me he realized I was having medical issues . had he mot been there I would have suffered the same fate that was yet to come. I just really feel the officers should be better educated on how to tell the difference and trained to deal with this situation better. So Im sorry to all of you who have liived through this horrific ordeal. But I truly feel victimized for an illness I can not help. I take Kepra for anti seizures however its not a cure. very expensive. So i ask you how much more do we have to suffer before someone pays attention.

Hi Margie Harrop,Do you have

Submitted by MandyS on Fri, 2019-10-18 - 21:30

Hi Margie Harrop,Do you have epilepsy? I'm guessing you don't from your judgemental, non-understanding comments.No it's not well controlled, but it's not from lack of trying. When my doc FINALLY figured out a combination of drugs that "controlled" mine the best it had been in years, one medication, the most expensive one, of course suddenly was no longer covered by my insurance. This was during the time I was still driving because I wasn't having seizures. Until the day I was leaving Wal Mart, still parked, but had a seizure as I was getting back to my car & was arrested for a DUI. Paramedics were not called, only police. I was taken to jail in handcuffs. With my seizure medical alert bracelet on. The officer was too convinced I was on drugs to worry about what it said, hell to even look at it or read it. Now here I am a year and a half later & the court finally has my tox screen back. And it has a controlled substance in it. That would be because I was on Vimpat. The expensive asf medicine (that was still a $90/month copay even with ins) the one that was actually working, until insurance decided it was no longer covered. And now that I can't & haven't driven for the last 18+ months, & I am broke after Uber & Lfyt rides, I can't afford an atty so like most days dealing with the anxiety and depression of my life since this dui charge, it's just gotten even more fantastic thanks to that medication & the fact that I have to continue to find some way to deal with this charge & not end up back in jail.