Source Houston Chronicle
A Chappell Hill man crashed a stolen 18-wheeler into the Texas Department of Public Safety building in Brenham on Friday, which authorities said resulted in over a dozen injuries.
Authorities charged 42-year-old Clenard Parker in connection with the crash and he was being held in Washington County Jail. The crash caused significant damage to the office building including a large gaping hole in the entrance. What's more, authorities allege he ran into the building intentionally in response to recently being denied a commercial driver's license.
What happened in Brenham on Friday?
Parker stole the semi-truck Friday morning from a Chappell Hill gas station, authorities said. He drove the truck toward Brenham with police catching up to him at one point and giving chase.
But they weren't able to stop him before the authorities say Parker drove into the building.
Authorities say Parker had backed up the truck to hit the building again, after striking the single-story building once to hit it again but was detained before he had the chance.
"If he had veered a little bit to the left a second time, there would have been a collapse of that building, which would have resulted in a lot more injuries and possible death," Brenham Mayor Atwood Kenjura said.
Clenard Parker was at the office the day before the crash. Why?
Authorities said Clenard Parker had been told the previous day at the Brenham office that he was not eligible to renew his commercial driver's license.
How many people were injured?
Fourteen people were injured, according to the Department of Public Safety. One person died at a hospital. Five others were taken to a hospital with two being admitted with serious injuries. Three were released Friday. The status of the two others is known.
Authorities treated the eight other people who were injured at the scene.
What is Clenard Parker being charged with?
Parker currently has five charges levied against him, according to the Washington County Jail inmate tracker. This includes one charge of evading arrest or detention, one charge of unauthorized use of vehicle and three charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
___
(c)2024 the Houston Chronicle
Visit the Houston Chronicle at www.chron.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
