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EDINBURG — The jury began deliberating the fate of a 33-year-old Nebraska man accused of causing a fiery, fatal crash on Highway 281 that killed one and sent two others to the hospital.
Tyrone Amos, who has pleaded not guilty to a count of intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle, a count of manslaughter and two counts of intoxication assault with a vehicle causing serious bodily injury, has been on trial since Aug. 26.
He is accused of a fatal wrongway crash that happened on May 4, 2021 at approximately 4:30 a.m. that killed 27-year-old Victor Bazan Jr.
The jury began its deliberations at approximately 4:20 p.m.
During closing arguments, prosecutor Michelle Beltran told jurors that accidents are preventable and that this crash was not an accident.
“This could have been preventable,” Beltran said.
She spoke of Melissa Pena, one of the victims, who crashed head-on with Amos. Beltran said she testified that she only saw light coming toward her and couldn’t go left because she thought she would die and couldn’t go right because she’d hit the car next to her possibly killing someone, so she braced for the impact.
As Beltran spoke about Pena, she was showing pictures of the aftermath of the crash and she stopped at Amos’ burned trailblazer.
“(Amos) would have died had two of his victims not pulled him out,” Beltran told jurors.
She then used Amos’ words against him as he testified in his own defense Thursday morning.
Amos admitted on the stand that he had two or three beers and two shots.
He also admitted to smoking marijuana and drinking in downtown McAllen while on the stand and blood tests confirmed he had alcohol and marijuana in his system.
“I smoke every day,” Amos said Thursday.
Beltran told jurors this case is about accountability because Amos chose to drive downtown, he chose to drink, he chose to smoke marijuana and he chose to drive again.
Amos’ defense attorney Chris Sully told jurors during closing arguments that an accident is not a crime. He said further that prosecutors had not proven Amos was intoxicated and that if they don’t believe he was intoxicated at the time of the crash he must be found not guilty.
Sully said Amos’ blood alcohol content was 0.05, not 0.08, which is the legal limit.
Beltran, however, reminded jurors that they heard from a medical expert who said Amos wasn’t tested until three hours after the crash and that had he been tested at the time of the crash, he would likely be over the legal limit.
Sully told jurors that the state didn’t prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt and the tests that found alcohol and marijuana in his system were not reliable.
During Amos’ testimony, he claimed he was drugged by an unknown person.
He confirmed he had been downtown looking for Black people and women and that he had been at a bar with some coworkers until 2:04 a.m.
Amos had been in the Valley for two weeks for work prior to the crash.
The jury was sent home just after 5 p.m. Deliberations are set to continue Friday morning.
Here’s the latest update:
Nebraska man found guilty in Edinburg crash that claimed 27-year-old’s life
