3 p.m.
The Texas Department of Public Safety held a press conference at the Graham Lodge No.20 Friday afternoon, across the road from the agency building driven into by an 18-wheeler earlier that morning.
A spokesperson identified the suspect as 42-year-old Clenard Parker from Chapel Hill and confirmed that Parker had stolen the semi-truck before driving it through the DPS office.
Law enforcement had been pursuing him when he suddenly took a sharp turn on Highway 290, crashing into the front of the DPS office where the driver’s license waiting area was located.
There were 14 people inside the DPS building at the time of the big rig crash, with nine being checked out by medical teams on site and the rest being hospitalized. Three individuals were critically injured and airlifted to other hospitals, per ABC 13. One victim died of their injuries.
The DPS spokesperson confirmed that Parker had been denied a commercial driver’s license the day before at that same office, yet did not provide further details, such as the reason for the refusal.
Parker was taken into custody without incident and sustained no injuries in the crash. After driving into the office, he reversed the tractor-trailer back out of the building for unknown reasons. Unconfirmed reports suggest that one of the pursuing officers drove into the back of the truck to immobilize it, per ABC 13.
The Texas Rangers will be investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash.
2 p.m.
Over a dozen people are injured after an 18-wheeler crashed into a Department of Public Safety office in Brenham — allegedly on purpose — Friday morning.
Approximately 14-16 people are believed to have been injured, with six of them being transported to nearby hospitals. At least three of those in the crash were transported by helicopter and are in critical condition, the outlet reported.
Washington County Sheriff Otto Hanak said that the crash is believed to have been an intentional, criminal act, per reporter Jeremy Rogalski of KHOU 11.
Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough confirmed reports that “this incident was intentional and done by the suspect who was denied a CDL yesterday. He returned today with intent to harm.”
The driver had apparently been refused a commercial driver’s license by that same DPS office the day before.
Reports suggest that the driver, who has not yet been publicly identified, allegedly stole the commercial motor vehicle in Chappell Hill and was being pursued by police prior to the crash.
Texas DPS alerted the public to the incident on social media at 11:17 a.m.
At 12:37, the agency stated, a “suspect [had] been arrested and there [was] no further threat to the community.”
Video footage of the crash scene can be seen below.
“We can confirm that the Texas Rangers are investigating this incident,” DPS officials said.
The DPS office is off Highway 290 on the southwest side of Brenham, which is situated between Austin and Houston.
The Dallas Express will continue to provide updates on this developing story.