San Benito Police Officer Injured in Auto Collision: Driver Charged with Aggravated Assault

In the early hours of Sunday, December 31, 2023, San Benito Police Department officers were responding to an auto collision on S. Expressway 83 near the Oscar Williams Road overpass. During the investigation, a passing motorist alerted officers that another officer conducting traffic control farther down the expressway had been struck by a vehicle.

Immediate response led officers to the scene where they found a San Benito Police officer lying on the roadway. Emergency personnel provided on-site medical attention before transporting the injured officer to Valley Baptist Medical Center. The officer is currently in stable condition, having sustained multiple fractures and other injuries. The identity of the officer is being withheld.

The driver responsible for the collision, identified as Yasser Ismail Abu Awwad Martinez, a 21-year-old resident of Brownsville, remained at the scene and was taken into custody. Martinez faces charges of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon and was issued a $75,000 bond. He was released upon making bail.

Investigations are ongoing to determine if drugs or alcohol played a role in the incident.