Clenard Parker, a 42-year-old man from Chappell Hill, Texas, is accused of a devastating act that resulted in the death of one person and injuries to 13 others after he allegedly crashed a stolen 18-wheeler into a Department of Public Safety (DPS) office in Brenham. The tragic event took place Friday morning, around 10:30 a.m., when Parker, reportedly denied his commercial driver's license (CDL) a day earlier, led authorities on a high-speed chase before plowing the big rig into the DPS building at 975 Hwy 390 W.
Following the crash, there was chaos and devastation. Two victims were life-flighted to a hospital in Bryan, and another to Houston, while three individuals were transported to local hospitals and later released, and eight additional people were treated at the scene. According to Click2Houston, one DPS employee was temporarily trapped inside the office, though no staff members sustained serious injuries. County Judge Mark Keough stated on X that the incident was “intentional and done by the suspect who was denied a CDL yesterday. He returned today with intent to harm.”
The suspect is currently being held without bond in the Washington County jail on charges of unauthorized use of a vehicle and evading arrest that caused serious bodily injury to another person. Local officials, including Republican state Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, expressed their condolences and commendations for the first responders, with Kolkhorst describing the crash as a "deliberate, heinous act," and a reminder of the dangerous conditions faced by law enforcement and licensing agencies. The investigation is now being led by the Texas Rangers, indicating the severity of the crime.
KHOU 11 reported an interview with Parker's family members, who have been left in shock by the event. They paint a picture of a man struggling with serious mental health issues, having been on medication and showing no previous signs of violence. "We have documents that show that he suffered from mental illness and he really needs some help," Parker's cousin, James Edmond, told KHOU 11. Despite this, Mika Frazier, another relative, expressed disbelief: "He would never have done something like this. I just couldn't believe this would be the outcome."
