A big rig plowed into a Texas Department of Public Safety office in an apparent “intentional” act, officials mentioned Friday. One individual was killed and a minimum of a dozen individuals have been injured, mentioned DPS Sgt. Justin Ruiz at a information convention on Friday afternoon. 

A suspect stole the 18-wheeler and crashed into the office in Brenham, about 75 miles west of Houston, in a “deliberate, heinous act,” mentioned Texas state Sen. Lois Kolkhorst in a press release on social media. 

Ruiz mentioned the suspect, recognized as 42-year-old Clenard Parker, was denied his industrial driver’s license the earlier afternoon on the Brenham office. A deputy was chasing the stolen rig, which took a tough proper flip into the DPS office, and appeared to crash into a driver’s license ready space, Ruiz mentioned. 

Parker, of Chappell Hill, was arrested and is in custody in the Washington County Jail, on-line inmate data present. He is dealing with a number of costs, together with evading arrest and unauthorized use of a car. Parker will seem in courtroom on Saturday, the Washington County sheriff’s office mentioned.

Three individuals have been life-flighted to space hospitals with important accidents, Ruiz disclosed, one of whom died on the hospital. Three others have been transported by ambulance to an area hospital in steady situation, all three of whom have been handled and launched. 

Eight individuals have been handled on scene and launched, Ruiz mentioned. The suspect was not among the many injured.

The identification of the deceased individual will not be launched till subsequent of kin is notified, officials mentioned.       

Of the airlifted sufferers, two have been flown to St. Joseph Health Regional Hospital in Bryan, Ruiz mentioned, and the third to Memorial Hermann in Houston. 

The three taken by ambulance have been transported to Baylor Scott and White in Brenham. 

Brenham Mayor Atwood Kenjura praised legislation enforcement for his or her fast response in stopping the suspect from attacking once more. 

“Had it not been for their quick action, as you can see across the street, the suspect was backing the vehicle up, with the intent of going into it again,” Kenjura advised reporters. 

Kolkhorst, who represents the world, mentioned that no DPS workers suffered critical accidents, and one staffer was trapped “for a period of time” in the constructing. Ruiz mentioned it was unclear precisely what number of of the injured have been DPS workers, and what number of have been civilians. 

Texas Rangers will probably be dealing with the investigation.

The Texas Department of Public Safety is a sprawling company and one of the most important state legislation enforcement operations in the nation. It consists of troopers who’re a central half of an enormous border safety operation on the U.S.-Mexico border in addition to the Texas Rangers, the state’s prime felony investigators. But the division additionally has places of work throughout the state that situation driver’s licenses.