One person was killed and more than a dozen were injured Friday, after the driver of a stolen 18-wheeler commercial vehicle crashed into a Department of Public Safety office in Brenham, Texas.
The Texas Department of Public Safety said the crash occurred around 11 a.m. local time, when the driver of the truck, Clenard Parker, 42, was being pursued by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
The truck then “took a hard right turn” and crashed into the building, which provides driver’s license and motor vehicle services, injuring multiple people and killing one, officials said. Parker was arrested at the scene.
Brenham is a city between Austin and Houston.
Clenard Parker, 42, allegedly crashed into a Texas DPS building, while being chased by authorities in a stolen 18-wheeler, killing one person and injuring more than a dozen others. (Courtesy of Shay Van Buren; Texas Department of Public Safety)
Denied license renewal
Parker was at the same DPS office on Thursday where he was denied a chance to renew his commercial driver’s license, saying he wasn’t eligible. Authorities were not sure why he was denied a renewal.
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A truck crashed into a Texas Department of Public Safety Office on Friday in Brenham, Texas. (KTRK)
Two people were flown to a hospital in Bryan, one person was life-flighted to Memorial Hermann in Houston, three people were taken to a hospital in Brenham, and eight people were treated and released on the scene, authorities said.
One person died from their injuries, authorities said.
Facing multiple charges
Parker will face multiple charges, authorities said, without going into specifics. He has previous criminal charges going back to 1999, including criminal trespass, arson, and prohibited weapons, FOX Houston reported.
The DPS office will be shut down and people with appointments for driver’s license services were told to visit the Texas DPS website for more information.
Texas state Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, who grew up in Brenham, said her office has been in contact with local authorities.
At least 16 people are reported to be injured following the incident in Brenham, Texas. (KTRK)
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“According to law enforcement, this appears to be an intentional, criminal act and the Texas Rangers will be leading the investigation,” she said in a statement. “This deliberate, heinous act is a reminder of the dangerous work done by our law enforcement and licensing agencies that work to provide public safety and services.”
Fox News’ Casey Stegall contributed to this report.
