A Texas man stole a semitrailer and, after a police pursuit, crashed it into a statehouse where he had been denied a commercial driver's license the day before, killing one person and injuring 13 others, authorities said Friday. .
Sergeant Justin Lewis of the Texas Department of Public Safety said at a news conference that the driver, Clenard Parker, stole the truck and, after a police pursuit, drove it into an office in Brenham, Texas. Houston. Parker, 42, of Chapel Hill, Texas, was not injured and was taken into custody by several officers.
Sergeant Lewis said Parker had visited the office the day before and was told he was not eligible to renew his commercial driver's license.
Sergeant Lewis described a winding police pursuit in which Mr. Parker drove the stolen truck west on the highway, then turned around and headed back east.
Sergeant Lewis said the stolen 18-wheeler then made a sharp right turn into the DPS Brenham office.
There were 14 people in the office when the truck crashed into the exterior wall around 10:30 a.m. local time. Three people were airlifted to hospital, three others were taken to hospital and a further eight people were treated for injuries at the scene.
One person died from injuries sustained in the accident after being transported, Sergeant Lewis said. It is unclear whether the person worked for the Department of Public Security.
The Department of Public Safety, which is investigating the crash along with the Texas Rangers, said Parker was taken into custody and faces multiple felony charges.
As of Saturday, Parker had been charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle, evading arrest and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. It is unclear whether he will be charged additionally.
Parker had previously been arrested on arson and trespassing charges, according to a Texas Department of Public Safety database. It is unclear whether Mr. Parker is represented by an attorney in this case.
Video and images from the scene showed a truck parked in the parking lot, damaged building walls and debris strewn on the ground.
The Department of Public Safety provides a variety of services in addition to driver license operations and vehicle inspection programs. In recent years, Texas public safety agencies have been tasked with preventing crime along the U.S.-Mexico border, responding to threats to public schools, and combating gangs and sex trafficking across the state, according to the agency's website. There is.
This office is separate from the Texas Department of Transportation, which oversees vehicle registration and license plate issuance.
Kirsten Noyes Contributed to research. rebecca carballo Contributed to the report.