TEMPLE, Texas (FOX 44) – UPDATE: Temple Police officers are investigating a series of crashes that happened Thursday evening. They all took place in the southbound lanes around 7 p.m.
One man was in custody on Friday morning after he was checked out at a local hospital. He has been identified as 41-year-old Marquis Douglas. Police said after he was removed from the vehicle, he was acting erratically and not responding to commands from officers.
Emergency medical personnel arrived on the scene and placed Douglas on a stretcher, at which time officers say he admitted to having used cocaine and marijuana. After Douglas was cleared by hospital personnel, he was taken to the Bell County Jail – where he remained Friday on a charge of driving while intoxicated, His bond is set at $5,000.
Officers received a call at 6:58 p.m. about a reckless driver who hit multiple vehicles on southbound Interstate 35 beginning around Mile Marker #304. Police were set up at the Mile Marker #299 when the vehicle reached them and crashed into another car. He then crashed his vehicle on the shoulder.
Police officers report only one person received non-life-threatening injuries, but the rest of the people involved were not hurt. I-35 was back open after about a 45-minute shutdown.
Anyone with information about the crashes or the reckless driver is asked to call the Temple Police Department at 254-298-5500 or the Bell County Crime Stoppers at 254-526-8477, where callers can report anonymously.