Law enforcement is working the scene after a stolen 18-wheeler crashed into a Texas Department of Public Safety office on US-290 in Brenham, Texas, on Friday.
Meredith Seaver/AP
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Meredith Seaver/AP
Law enforcement is working the scene after a stolen 18-wheeler crashed into a Texas Department of Public Safety office on US-290 in Brenham, Texas, on Friday.
Meredith Seaver/AP
BRENHAM, Texas — A Texas tractor-trailer driver crashed into a stolen 18-wheeler outside a public safety building where his commercial driver’s license renewal had been denied, killing one person and injuring 13 others, officials said. authorities on Friday.
The intentional crash into the one-story brick building on a highway in Brenham, a rural town outside Houston, littered the parking lot with debris and left a gaping hole in the driveway. The accident damaged the front of the red semi-trailer, which was transporting materials on a flatbed.
After crashing into the building the first time, the driver reversed with the intention of smashing it again before being arrested, Brenham Mayor Atwood Kenjura said.
“It is unfortunate that we are gathered here for a truly senseless tragedy,” Kenjura said.
The driver – identified as Clenard Parker, 42 – was removed from the truck by authorities from the Texas Department of Public Safety office. Authorities say Parker did not resist when he was taken into custody and is believed to face numerous crimes, but have not specified the charges.
On Thursday, Parker was informed by office employees that he would not be eligible to renew his commercial driver’s license, said Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Justin Ruiz said. He did not explain why Parker’s renewal was rejected.
A building worker was trapped “for some time” after the crash, but no driver’s license office workers were seriously injured, Republican Sen. Lois Kolkhorst said.
It was unclear Friday afternoon where the person killed was at the time of the crash.
Following the crash, two people were airlifted to a hospital in Bryan and another in Houston. Three people were transported to local hospitals but were later released, and eight others were treated at the scene.
Parker, who lived in Chappell Hill, about 10 miles east of the crash site, was being held without bail Friday in Washington County Jail in Brenham on two initial charges: suspicion of eluding upon arrest, causing serious bodily injury and unauthorized use of a vehicle.
It was not immediately clear whether Parker had an attorney or would be appointed one at a future court appearance. The jail website did not list an attorney or pending court date.
Ruiz said he did not know if Parker had a criminal record. He said they are still investigating whether he was armed at the time of the crash. He added that they were also investigating whether his actions could be considered an act of terrorism.
“We’re trying to figure this out,” Ruiz said. He said the FBI was assisting in the investigation.
A heavy police presence surrounded the building and drivers were asked to avoid the area on Friday. Brenham, a town of about 19,000 people, is about 80 miles west of Houston.
Kolkhorst and Kenjura said law enforcement’s quick response helped prevent an even greater tragedy.
“We are fortunate that we were not injured in this act of violence,” Kolkhorst said.
Kenjura said a fire official told him that if Parker had “veered to the left” and managed to hit the building again, “there would have been a collapse of the building, resulting in more injuries or even death “.
The Texas Department of Public Safety is a sprawling agency and one of the largest law enforcement operations in the country. It includes soldiers playing a central role in a massive security operation at the U.S.-Mexico border, as well as the Texas Rangers, the state’s top criminal investigators. But the department also has offices throughout the state that issue driver’s licenses.
The Texas Rangers were investigating the crash, Ruiz said.
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