Second person dies after man rams big rig into Texas DPS office

BRENHAM, Texas — A second person has died after a man intentionally drove a stolen 18-wheeler through a Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) office on April 12.

According to a DPS news release, 63-year-old Cheryl Turner, of Brenham, died on April 22.

This news follows the April 15 DPS announcement that Bobby Huff, 78, had died as a result of the incident.

According to a DPS news release, Clenard Parker, 42, is charged with murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon on a public servant, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and criminal mischief.

DPS have not yet announced upgraded charges for Parker related to Turner’s passing

Before the murder charge in Huff’s death, Parker was already facing five felonies — three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, one count of unauthorized use of a vehicle and one count of evading arrest.

The intentional crash into the single-story brick building off a highway in Brenham, a rural town outside of Houston, littered debris in the parking lot and left a gaping hole in the entrance. The crash damaged the front of the red semitrailer, which was hauling materials on a flatbed.

After crashing into the building the first time, Parker backed up the truck with the intention of smashing it again before being detained, Brenham Mayor Atwood Kenjura said.

“It’s unfortunate that we are here gathered for a really senseless tragedy,” Kenjura said.

Parker was pulled out of the truck by authorities at the DPS office. Authorities say Parker did not resist when he was taken into custody.

On April 11, Parker was told by employees at the office that he would not be eligible to renew his commercial driver’s license, DPS Sgt. Justin Ruiz said. He did not elaborate as to why Parker’s renewal was rejected.

“We’re blessed more weren’t injured in this act of violence,” Kolkhorst said.

Kenjura said a fire department official told him if Parker had “veered to the left” and succeeded in striking the building again, “there would have been a collapse of the building resulting in more injuries and possibly death.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

John Worthen

Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and raised in East Texas, John Worthen returned to his home state to attend college in 1998 and decided to make his life in The Natural State. Worthen is a 20-year veteran of the journalism industry and has covered just about every topic there is. He has a passion for writing and telling stories. He has worked as a beat reporter and bureau chief for a statewide newspaper and as managing editor of a regional newspaper in Arkansas. Additionally, Worthen has been a prolific freelance journalist for two decades, and has been published in several travel magazines and on travel websites.