Doctor testifies against physician in manslaughter trial

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Did one doctor testify against another doctor in court today in hopes of getting his job? That’s what defense attorneys claim.

Tuesday was the second day of the trial in the death of San Juana Sanchez.

Prosecutors called the trauma surgeon and neurosurgeon who attended to Sanchez after Hassan reportedly hit her with his truck last year in April of last year.

Doctor Christine Dalhausen testified she analyzed C-T scans that showed skull fractures, and she said, bleeding in the brain.

Dahlhausen said she didn’t see any significant damage to other parts of the body.

Defense attorneys argued medical personnel could have missed an injury to Sanchez’s pelvis.

They said internal bleeding in that area could have contributed to the woman’s death.

No autopsy was performed after the crash that Hassan’s legal team said could have proved a hip fracture occurred.

Neurosurgeon Sohum Desai testified the scans also showed swelling of the brain causing significant pressure.

He said that because of the swelling, it created so much pressure in the brain that bloodflow could not go to the brain.

The doctor testified he began to prepare an operation to remove part of her skull to relieve the pressure.

On the stand he said Sanchez suffered cardiac arrest before the procedure could begin and was declared dead after 20 minutes of life saving efforts.

“We were trying to perform a miracle, right," Desai said. "The way that she came, presented to us in the emergency department, there was very little chance that she was going to make it, right? She was nearly brain dead, or brain dead.”

Desai said he saw doctor Hassan a short time after the crash and before Sanchez made it to the emergency department.

Desai testified that Hassan told him he was texting at the time of the crash.

Dr. Desair said Dr. Hassan continued to text back and forth with him while he was attending to Sanchez.

Later during cross examination, defense attorneys accused Desai of telling someone at Valley Baptist Medical Center he hoped Hassan would be convicted and be sent away for years.

Desai denied saying that while Hassan’s legal team asked if he wanted Hassan to be convicted so he could take his job.