Man steals big rig, then bails before it crashes into home and kills one, Texas cops say

A woman was killed early Tuesday morning when a stolen 18-wheeler truck crashed into her mobile home, Texas cops say.

The driver of the truck, who is accused of stealing it from a trucking company about an hour and a half earlier, jumped out as he was being chased by officers, Houston Police Commander Michael Collins said in a news briefing. The truck continued traveling before barreling into the home.

The 50-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene following the crash just after midnight, Collins said. She was inside her bed when the truck entered the home, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said.

Three other people were inside the home, including a man who was found by first responders trapped beneath the truck, police said. He suffered major injuries and the other two people inside the home, both of whom are adults, were uninjured, the police commander said.

Police said the suspect sustained minor injuries when he bailed out of the truck. He was taken into custody and will be charged with felony murder and aggravated assault, according to Sean Teare with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.

It’s unknown how fast the truck was traveling when it crashed into the home, but Collins said it was moving at an “excessive speed.” The identity of woman killed has not been publicly released.

The suspect, identified as 39-year-old Erik Black, has a “very long criminal history,” according to Teare. He referred to the Black’s alleged actions as “brazen and callous.”

bed inside the residence were struck by the truck. A male victim (54) is stable and a female (50) was pronounced deceased at the scene. Black is being charged with Murder and Reckless Aggravated Assault. Black is in the Harris County Jail. #HouNews

— Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) October 26, 2021

“Very few people understand the damage a regular car can do. When you add on the weight of an 18-wheeler, it’s a missile,” Teare said. “It’s not just a projectile and a bullet, it’s a missile.”

The district attorney’s office will file motions for Black to remain in jail on no bond, Teare said.

Chris Conyers, the brother of the male homeowner, told KHOU the incident was a “surreal situation” and one that “is not supposed to happen.”

“When you see complete innocent people struck down by no fault of their own...it’s incredibly frustrating,” Teare said. “Your heart goes out to everyone that is involved with this family.”

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