Trial begins for Harlingen physician charged in fatal auto-pedestrian crash

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The trial for the manslaughter case against Dr. Ameer Hassan began Monday in Brownsville.

Hassan is accused of striking and killing San Juana Benavides Sanchez with a vehicle in front of Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen in April 2023.

The State accuses Hassan of being on his cell phone and being distracted when he hit 73-year-old Sanchez.

Defense attorneys attempted to find inconsistencies between his original statements and today’s testimony.

The jury was shown the entire recorded statement that was given to Harlingen police at the time of the incident.

Earlier today, that same witness said he did not see Hassan render medical aid to the victim, which the defense says is untrue.

Forensic Pathologist, Elizabeth Miller, who conducted the inquest on Sanchez took the stand and announced her cause of death finding.

“CT evaluation revealed that there was a fracture of the left frontal bone of the skull which is here," said Miller. "And the right parietal bone of the skull up here.”

Defense attorneys argued an autopsy should have been performed instead of an inquest.

They say Sanchez had other medical conditions that caused internal bleeding that could have been the real cause of her death.