Truck driver gets life without parole for deadly DPS office crash near Brenham, officials say

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- A man who plowed an 18-wheeler into a Department of Public Safety driver's license office near Brenham will spend the rest of his life behind bars.

On Tuesday, Clenard Parker pleaded guilty in a deal that will keep him behind bars for the rest of his life, but avoids the death penalty, according to the Washington County District Attorney's Office.

In April 2024, Parker was a commercial truck driver who, prosecutors said, was upset that his commercial driver's license was not renewed. They say the following day, Parker stole an 18-wheeler from a gas station in Chappel Hill, then drove it into the DPS office on 290 near Brenham.

Two people died and about a dozen were injured, according to authorities.

According to officials, Parker was arrested and charged in multiple cases, including capital murder. His bond was in the millions of dollars. Court records confirm that Parker pled guilty to life behind bars without the possibility of parole.