Man denied renewal of commercial driver's license steals semitruck and drives straight into the building's entrance, killing 2 and injuring dozens

Background: The Texas Department of Public Safety bureau successful Brenham, Texas, aft the clang (KTRK/KABB/YouTube). Inset (top left): Bobby Huff (Lang Memorial Funeral Home). Inset (top right): Cheryl Turner (Memorial Oaks Chapel). Inset bottom: Clenard Parker (Washington County Jail).

A antheral volition walk the remainder of his beingness down bars for stealing a semitruck and driving consecutive into the entranceway of a Texas driver's licence office, sidesplitting 2 radical and injuring dozens more.

Clenard Parker, 45, pleaded blameworthy to capital murder connected Wednesday successful transportation with the deaths of 78-year-old Bobby Huff and 63-year-old Cheryl Turner, and was sentenced to beingness successful situation without the anticipation of parole, the Washington County District Attorney's Office announced successful a property release.

The plea statement stipulated that Parker would person the punishment of beingness without parole for the 2 execution victims, a life sentence for an aged unfortunate who was struck but survived, "20 years for each of the different 2 victims, 5 years for the harm to the building, and 2 years for stealing the truck," the bureau said. Parker besides waived his close to entreaty immoderate of the cases.

On April 12, 2024, Parker was successful Washington County, Texas, an country astir 75 miles northwest of Houston. He had reportedly been denied a renewal of his commercialized driver's licence conscionable days earlier by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) bureau successful Brenham, Texas, the region seat.

According to the DA's office, Parker "stole an 18-wheeler from a parking lot" successful Chappell Hill, Texas, astir 12 miles distant from Brenham, and "led instrumentality enforcement connected a pursuit that ended with Parker deliberately driving done the front" of the Texas DPS driver's licence building.

Texas DPS said that day that a "commercial centrifugal conveyance ran into the Brenham DPS Office, and determination are reports of aggregate superior injuries." The bureau later added that a fishy was arrested and "14 radical were injured."

Huff was killed, portion Turner died 8 days later, according to her obituary. Another unfortunate "lost a limb but survived."

The Texas Ranger Division was tasked with starring the investigation, which the DA's bureau said revealed that Parker "returned to retaliate" against a circumstantial DPS employee, the 1 "he blamed for the non-renewal."

After his arrest, Parker "spent important clip successful the authorities infirmary nether doctor's care." His attorneys reportedly explained that aggregate physicians declared him competent to proceed successful the case, and they "assured the tribunal helium understood the proceedings and the consequences" of his plea.

"We person each prayed for those progressive since this tragedy," Washington County District Attorney Derek Estep said. "No condemnation tin marque the families whole, but I anticipation the plea tin supply immoderate bid successful the finality of a beingness sentence."

Huff "loved spending clip with his household and friends," according to his obituary, and helium "enjoyed attending gatherings specified arsenic household reunions, holidays and birthdays."

"He was a loving husband, father, brother, grandfather, uncle, relative and friend," the tribute added.

Turner "enjoyed crafting, cooking," and spending clip with household members, "especially her grandchildren," her obituary stated.

The station Man denied renewal of commercialized driver's licence steals semitruck and drives consecutive into the building's entrance, sidesplitting 2 and injuring dozens archetypal appeared connected Law & Crime.