1 dead, 13 injured after felon crashes stolen 18-wheeler into Texas Department of Public Safety office
One person was killed and 13 more injured Friday when a felon intentionally crashed a stolen 18-wheeler into a Texas Department of Public Safety building west of Houston.
The suspect, identified by DPS Sgt. Justin Ruiz as Clenard Parker, 42, of Chappell Hill, was removed from the 18-wheeler and taken into custody by several officers.
Ruiz said all 14 people in the building at the time were injured. Among the victims, eight were treated and released at the scene, three were transported and released from Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Brenham, and three others were flown to other nearby hospitals.
One of the victims, who Ruiz did not identify, died at the hospital of their injuries.
At a news conference Friday afternoon, Brenham Mayor Atwood Kenjura called the incident “a senseless tragedy,” and said Parker was backing up to ram the building again when quick-thinking first responders placed him under arrest.
“The suspect was backing up with the intent of going into it again. Our fire chief mentioned that if he had veered a little bit to the left the second time, there would have been a collapse of that building that would have resulted in a lot more injuries and possible death.”
The truck slammed into the front entrance of the building in the rural town of Brenham around 10:41 a.m.
Ruiz said Parker had been denied a commercial driver’s license (CDL) application renewal at the facility the previous afternoon.
The front of the brick office suffered serious damage, and the 18-wheeler was still at the scene as of Friday afternoon, live footage from ABC-13 showed.
DPS Regional Director Gerald Brown called the incident “a sad day for DPS and everyone involved,” and said the building was “unusable” in its current state and would need to be shuttered for repairs.
The truck appears to have had to jump the curb to plow into the structure, reports noted.
Authorities do not believe there is any further threat to the community, but onlookers have been advised to stay away from the area as the investigation continues.
Speaking at the press conference, Texas Sen. Lois Kolkhorst told reporters the DPS office is “known to everyone in Brenham,” and urged prayers for the victims and their families.
She said the incident highlights the dangers of public service.
“Someone who goes to work today to issue a driver’s license can literally trigger someone to create an act of violence like the one we saw across the street,” she said gesturing to the damaged building.
“We will prosecute this person to the fullest extent of the law. This will not be tolerated, not in my hometown, and not in our state.”
Ruiz said Parker is facing “multiple felonies” for his actions.
Parker has a rap sheet dating back to 1999, with both felony and misdemeanor convictions including charges for weapons possession and tampering with a government record.
He’s currently being held in Washington County Jail without bond on charges of unauthorized use of a vehicle and evading arrest.
