A 19-year-old man pleaded not guilty Monday to a charge of accident involving death in connection with a fatal April 2023 crash, court records show.

Cruz Fabian Bazan fled the scene of the crash that killed a pedestrian and was arrested nearly two months later, according to a criminal complaint.

The complaint identifies Helena Liliana Vaquera Peña as the pedestrian who was allegedly struck by Bazan’s vehicle on April 6, 2023, at around 6:40 a.m. on FM 2812 and Cesar Chavez Road near the city of Edinburg.

According to the complaint, Peña ran across FM 2812 while failing to yield the right of way to Bazan’s vehicle, and was struck. 

“The driver fled the scene and failed to provide medical attention/aid to [Peña] who died as a result of her injuries,” the complaint stated.

Bazan was arrested on June 7, 2023, after his mother notified police of her son’s involvement in the fatal crash, the complaint added.

According to the complaint, Bazan told troopers with the Texas Department of Public Safety that he was driving home from his girlfriend’s house and travelling westbound on FM 2812 when he saw someone on the north side of the road waving him down and yelling at him to stop.

Bazan told troopers he didn’t stop or slow down because he feared for his life, the complaint added.

As Bazan drove past the person, he took his eyes off the road to look back at them, and when he looked back on the road he saw “someone in his lane of travel” and struck them. 

According to the complaint, Bazan got scared and drove away from the scene, eventually stopping in a neighborhood to check his vehicle and to call his girlfriend to tell her he hit someone.

“Bazan eventually made it home by taking the back roads,” the complaint said.

Jail records show Bazan has been out on a $5,000 bond since his June 2023 arrest. 

Court records show a pre-trial hearing was set for Jan. 22, 2025.