Sunday evening, at 7:26pm, Brownwood Police were dispatched to the 400 block of 6th Street to assist in traffic control while Brownwood Fire Department battled a house fire.
At 7:38pm, a hit and run accident occurred at the intersection of US 377S and 8th Street two blocks from the fire. The suspect vehicle was noted as a white Ford truck.
According to police reports, at 7:46pm, a white Ford truck matching the suspect vehicle description drove through the scene of the fire, nearly hitting two firemen, one of which was Fire Marshal Buddy Preston. Neither of the men were injured. The vehicle also ran over and damaged one of the fire department’s hoses. Dispatch had advised the officers on the scene of the fire that the hit and run had occurred. They immediately began pursuit, looking for the driver.
The driver, later identified as 43-year-old Ronald Wayne Harris, was eventually located in the suspect vehicle which was noted to have front end damage. Harris was also found to be intoxicated the police report states and charged with Driving While Intoxicated (3rd offense or more); Fleeing the Scene of an Accident >$200; and Reckless Driving.
According to Preston, other charges could be added for Interfering with an Emergency Scene and charges related to damaging the fire hose.