ROAD

12 April 2024: Benham, Texas

A man stole a semitrailer in Texas on April 12 and crashed it into a state government office where he had been denied a commercial driver’s license the day before. The crash occurred after a police chase. The accident killed one person and injured 13, according to authorities. Clenard Parker stole the truck, and after a police pursuit drove the vehicle into the office in Brenham, Texas, a small city about 75 miles northwest of Houston, Sgt. Justin Ruiz of the Texas Department of Public Safety said at a news conference. Parker, 42, of Chappell Hill, Texas, was taken into custody by officers at the scene. Parker tried to renew his commercial driver’s license at the location the day before. Fourteen people were inside the office when the truck slammed into the exterior wall about 10:30 a.m. Three were airlifted to hospitals, three others were transported to a hospital, and eight more were treated at the scene for their injuries. One person died of injuries from the crash after being transported, Sergeant Ruiz said. Parker was charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle, evading arrest and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Additional charges may be filed.