Survivor of fatal car crash speaks out against former police officer

Christopher Green | Staff Reporter

SAN MARCOS – Pam Watts, the survivor of a fatal car crash caused by former San Marcos Police Officer Ryan Hartman, held a press conference on Jan. 25 where she threw away posters calling for Hartman to be terminated from the San Marcos Police force.

Hartman was terminated on Jan. 18, 2022. In an email from City Manager Burt Lumbrearas to San Marcos City Council, Lumbreras stated Hartman was terminated due to “the result of sustained misconduct related to dereliction of duty and insubordination.”

The press conference was held at Green Guy Recycling in San Marcos. The disposal of the signs was a symbolic gesture intended to show that Watts will continue to seek justice for her life partner Jennifer Miller. Miller was killed when former SMPD officer Hartman ran a stop sign while talking on his phone and crashed into Watts and Miller who were driving a Honda Accord. Lockhart officers who responded to the scene found an open 24-ounce can of Dos Equis beer in his truck.

At the press conference Watts spoke about seeking justice for Miller.

“We started out to get a police officer no longer standing in judgment of others and wearing a badge who had simply nullified himself. I am so pleased to tell you that officer Hartman has been terminated as of the eighteenth of this month from the San Marcos Police Department. So, we are here to recycle this sign. The first objective has been met, but the second one has not,” Watts said. 

“We have a corrupt justice system that has failed to properly adjudicate this case against the cop [Hartman],” Watts said.

Watts believes the grand jury in the original indictment against Hartman was not given the full details of the case.

“They weren’t told the facts. You have a district attorney who presented the case as distracted driving. Taxpayers paid for a two-month investigation from the Lockhart Police Department that called it criminal negligent homicide,” Watts said.

Watts is now calling for a new trial against Hartman.

I’m calling on District Judge Chris Schneider to reconvene a new grand jury and show them the evidence. That’s all they had to do the first time around was to show them the evidence,” Watts said.

Watts said if Snyder doesn’t reconvene a new grand jury, she will continue seeking justice for Jennifer Miller.

“I will keep fighting. I’m going to go to the state bar, I’m going to figure out who supervises Judge Snyder, I’m going to go to the federal people if I have to, the Department of Justice, I’ve got to figure out the path to get there. So, if there is any concerned lawyer out there who wants to tell me what my next step should be, I’m more than happy to listen,” Watts said.