A prominent bull terrier breeder is facing serious allegations after reportedly crashing his $400,000 Rolls-Royce into two women in what is described as a ‘rage-fueled’ incident, according to a recent lawsuit.

The lawsuit claims that 79-year-old Robert Knox Thomas was speeding in downtown Napa, California, when he ignored a stop sign and collided with the women. The legal action was initiated on Tuesday.

Surveillance cameras captured the moment Annamarie Thammala and Veronnica Pansanouck were about to step onto the sidewalk when Thomas’s SUV turned sharply and struck them.

The lawsuit details that Thammala, 29, was hurled into the air, collided with a building, and was trapped beneath a tree uprooted by the impact. Meanwhile, Pansanouck, 31, was reportedly dragged and pinned under the Rolls-Royce as it careened into a nearby restaurant.

Both women sustained ‘catastrophic injuries’ that are expected to necessitate ‘lifelong medical care,’ with the lawsuit attributing the incident to Thomas’s alleged ‘rage, aggression, and a blatant disregard for human life.’

Thomas, a leading member of the worldwide bully breeding community, was cited for three traffic violations in connection to the crash, but has no chance of serving jail time because the offences are not considered crimes.

He has dodged service of the lawsuit and is ‘hiding behind the gates of his private estate in an attempt to avoid responsibility,’ the plaintiff’s attorney told the Daily Mail.

Thomas is no stranger to the courtroom and has been named in multiple cases in Texas, including an ongoing mutli-million dollar divorce battle with his former wife.  

Bull terrier breeder Robert Knox Thomas, 79, (pictured with his dog) deliberately slammed his $400,000 Rolls Royce into two women crossing the street in a road rage attack, a lawsuit has alleged

Surveillance footage showed Annamarie Thammala and Veronnica Pansanouck about to step onto the sidewalk when the SUV turned onto the street and ran them over

Thammala, 29, was thrown into the air, slammed into a building and crushed beneath a tree that had been severed by the car, the complaint stated. Pansanouck, 31, was allegedly dragged and pinned beneath the Rolls-Royce before it crashed into a nearby restaurant

Thomas had been driving to a nearby UPS store to pick up packages for his wife Grace just moments before the November 25, 2024, crash, the complaint filed in Napa County Superior Court on Tuesday stated.

He allegedly became frustrated when he was unable to find a parking space, with witnesses claiming he circled the block multiple times in his 2023 Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV.

He was seen revving his engine repeatedly and moved the vehicle back and forth for ‘no apparent reason’, according to the complaint obtained by the Daily Mail.

He then screeched his tires and accelerated down the street while ‘looking angry’, the suit alleged. Witnesses claim he was pointing at pedestrians in a threatening manner, with his ‘index finger extended and his thumb raised like a gun.’

Thomas was seen ‘driving in the wrong lane, swerving back and forth’, and even ‘burned rubber’ as he drove toward the intersection and plowed his 6,000-pound vehicle into Thammala and Pansanouck, the suit alleged.

The victims were ‘violently struck’ as they were ‘lawfully crossing’ the street in a ‘clearly marked crosswalk’, the complaint claimed.

Thomas drove ‘recklessly, dangerously, and with a conscious disregard for the rights and safety of others’ as he sped down the street and into the intersection, the suit added.

The suit accuses Thomas of negligence and inflicting emotional distress on the duo and their companions. It also alleges that his actions caused the victims to sustain serious bodily injuries, pain and suffering. 

Thomas has dodged service of the lawsuit and is ‘hiding behind the gates of his private [Napa] estate in an attempt to avoid responsibility,’ the plaintiff’s attorney told the Daily Mail. Pictured is the home associated with Thomas’s last known address

‘Defendant’s conduct was not the result of inattention, distraction, or mistake,’ the complaint alleges. ‘It was the culmination of rage, aggression, and a deliberate disregard for human life.’

Witnesses said Thomas appeared ‘angry and aggressive’ and was ‘driving his Rolls-Royce as though it were an instrument of intimidation and power.’ 

They also described the speed of the SUV as ‘pedal to the metal.’

The crash left Thammala, who suffered multiple fractures and a spinal injury, paralyzed from the waist down, according to complaint. Pansanouck suffered spinal fractures in her back and legs and underwent multiple surgeries. 

The pair also endured medical expenses, loss of earnings and diminished earning capacity, the complaint alleged.

Thomas is understood to have suffered minor injuries in the crash. 

Pansanouck’s sisters, Erica Kalah and Colicia Pansanouk – who spells her last name differently – were crossing the street at the same time and witnessed the crash.

Kalah and Pansanouk, both plaintiffs in the case, allege they suffered severe emotional trauma after witnessing the incident.

Police did not cite Thomas, a resident of Napa County whose last known address was at a $7 million estate, for any traffic violations until seven months after the crash.

He was issued infractions for exceeding the speed limit, failing to stop at a stop sign and causing a collision with great bodily injury.

Thomas’s Rolls-Royce crashed into a nearby restaurant, damaging the exterior of the building

Witnesses said Thomas appeared ‘angry and aggressive’ and was ‘driving his Rolls-Royce as though it were an instrument of intimidation and power,’ according to the lawsuit. Pictured is damage to the restaurant that Thomas allegedly hit with his SUV

Thomas cooperated with police during their investigation, The Press Democrat reported. He provided a blood sample and was interviewed by officers.

Following their ‘lengthy investigation’, the Napa Police Department determined that Thomas mistakenly hit the gas instead of the brake when he ran the stop sign.

He continued to drive down the road at speeds of up to 39mph, despite the area having a 20mph limit, the investigation found.

He then ‘unintentionally struck the victims’ while trying to avoid crashing into a restaurant, officers said. His SUV was ultimately stopped when it hit a building.

Police determined drugs, alcohol, medical conditions or vehicle malfunction did not contribute to the crash. 

Thomas pled not guilty to the traffic citations. His trial is scheduled for December 15. 

He was cited by Napa police again in March this year, just four months after the crash, for allegedly turning right at a stoplight without coming to a stop.

Thomas pleaded not guilty in the case with his lawyer arguing that his dogsitter had been driving at the time, according to the Press Democrat.

The citation was dismissed in July but Thomas was cited the next day for making an illegal turn at a red light, court records showed. He pled guilty to that offense. 

Thomas, originally from Dallas, faces the civil suit over the Napa crash amid a nasty divorce battle with his former wife Dannye Butler.

Butler filed for divorce in December 2016, according to court documents obtained by the Daily Mail. 

She accused Thomas of violently assaulting her during an argument in their marital home just one month later, a probable cause affidavit revealed. 

Robert and Grace Thomas met in 2015. They had a mutual love for bull terriers and were married in 2018

Butler alleged that the pair were arguing but the altercation escalated when Thomas allegedly punched her multiple times in the face, before pushing her to the ground.

She managed to flee and call 911, the affidavit stated. When officers arrived, Butler had blood on her face and a split lip, according to the document.

Thomas was arrested and charged with assault causing bodily injury and family violence. He was found innocent at a jury trial, the county court docket showed.

Butler requested a temporary restraining order during the divorce battle, an amended complaint revealed. 

She alleged that Thomas relocated to California without leaving a forwarding address, abandoned his five dogs and was actively trying to drag out his court ordered obligations, according to the filing.

She forced the sale of their Dallas area home for a price of $7.5 million and requested $10,000 per month in alimony for 102 months.

She also sought more than $1 million in damages from Thomas, alleging he was delinquent on their joint bills and did not reimburse her for the sale of their joint property.

Butler further alleged that Thomas ‘indicated and displayed an intent to make Dannye’s financial life miserable and unpredictable.’ 

The couple were granted a divorce in May 2017 and ultimately reached a settlement in court. However, their legal battle remains ongoing today.

Thomas filed a petition in August to contest the settlement, alleging that Butler hid their pre-nuptial agreement in an effort to secure a better deal in the divorce. 

At the time of the divorce, Thomas was unable to locate the prenup, so he negotiated a settlement, the filing stated.

But he alleges the agreement did exist and that Butler, in a malpractice suit filed against her attorney, revealed she had intentionally concealed it. 

A source familiar with the divorce proceedings dismissed Thomas’s allegations against Butler, telling the Daily Mail that the existence of the prenup was never in question.

The insider alleged that lawyers for both Thomas and Butler knew about the agreement and had open discussions about the tax implications of a prenup-governed divorce versus a normal divorce.

Thomas, originally from Dallas, faces the civil suit over the Napa crash amid a nasty divorce battle with his former wife

Grace Thomas (top center) at the 2010 Westminster Kennel Club dog show in New York with her dog Vinny after he won his breed’s category

Thomas married his current wife Grace, who was an active member of the bull terrier community, three years after they met in the show ring at a 2015 competition where he was a judge. 

‘He fell in love with my dog,’ Grace told Associated Press in 2020. About a year after that 2015 show, the two started talking about dogs, ‘and it just grew from there,’ she added.

Thomas – who used to tease Grace by telling her ‘I only started dating you because I wanted your dog’ – called their relationship ‘the best thing that ever happened to me.’

Thomas joined the breeding world in 1973 and is now considered to be a leading figure within the global community, his BullyGanza biography stated.

He co-founded the Bull Terrier Club of Dallas and eventually became the youngest president of the organization’s national club.

He has been a licensed competition judge since 1979 and has bred or owned more than 25 champion bull terriers.

Grace fell in love with bull terriers in the late 1980s after seeing them featured in Bud Light ads, but did not purchase one until 2011.

Attorneys for Butler did not respond to the Daily Mail’s request for comment. Thomas does not have listed legal representation in connection to the civil case and his divorce lawyers did not reply to requests for comment.

Calls to phone numbers associated with Thomas and Grace went unanswered. The Daily Mail messaged Grace on social media, who in return blocked our reporter.