$2 million bond set for driver in “intentional” Texas DPS crash

A $2 million bond has been set for the man responsible for the “intentional” Texas DPS crash in Brenham on Friday. 

The “intentional” Texas DPS crash occurred at around 11 a.m. on Friday, April 12th at the Texas Department of Public Safety in Brenham, Texas. 

42-year-old Clenard Parker had been at the office the day prior attempting to obtain his CDL, but “while he was there, the driver’s license staff advised Parker that he was not eligible to renew his commercial driver license,” Texas DPS Sgt. Justin Ruiz said to FOX 7 Austin.

The following day, Clenard stole a flatbed tractor trailer and was being pursued by Washington County Sheriff’s Office officers on US 290 west, and then east, when “the stolen 18-wheeler took a hard right turn” into the DPS building, NBC News reported. 

“From details thus far, this was an intentional act of violence against innocent citizens and our civil servants that work in this facility,” State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst posted to X.  “As I stated in the press conference, we will prosecute this coward to the fullest extent of the law.”

One person died in the incident. Thirteen other people were injured. 

“He had his [Commercial drivers] license at one time before, and he went to go try to get his CDL again, and for whatever reason that just took him over the top,” said James Edmund, Parker’s cousin.

“My cousin he suffered from bad mental illness and he just snapped,” Edmund continued.

According to Fox News, Parker is now facing charges of evading arrest, unauthorized use of a vehicle and multiple aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charges for the “intentional” Texas DPS crash. He is being held on $2 million bond.

Parker has a record of previous arrests involving criminal trespass, arson, and prohibited weapons, going as far back as 1999, FOX Houston reported.

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