Driver charged with murder after allegedly ramming car into crowd in Montrose, killing young nurse

A man was arrested and charged with murder after allegedly speeding through a crowded parking lot near a Montrose bar early Thursday and plowing a car into a crowd, killing a young nurse and injuring two others, authorities said.

Cordale Robinson, 25, was charged with murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in the attack, Houston police said.

Houston Methodist San Jacinto Hospital identified the victim as Jared Jacobs, 25, a nurse at the intensive care unit.

"Jared was an eager recent graduate of nursing school who was already an incredible asset to the ICU," according to the statement. "His colleagues describe a bright smile and welcoming personality that lifted everyone around him."

The hospital also praised Jacobs' "superb nursing skills and dedication to his patients," adding. "His eternally positive outlook and wonderful sense of humor made him a favorite of patients and co-workers alike."

Cordale Robinson s charged with murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in the 339th State District Court, according to the Houston Police Department. Cordale Robinson s charged with murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in the 339th State District Court, according to the Houston Police Department. Image 1 of / 20 Caption Close Driver charged with murder after allegedly ramming car into crowd in Montrose, killing young nurse 1 / 20 Back to Gallery

Witnesses told Metro Video that the driver of the car had just been attacked by a group of men in the Grant and Hyde Park area near the Bayou City Bar and Grill at 2409 Grant Road.

Police said Robinson got into a friend's vehicle, a 2011 silver Dodge Avenger, and drove through the parking lot at least twice, intentionally striking pedestrians and two vehicles.

"It came in like a hurricane," a bystander, Teanna Macintosh, said. "It just appeared out of nowhere and he just came in and started hitting and running over people and dragging people and tearing up people's cars. You couldn't calm him down."

One female bystander said everyone took off running when the car barreled through the lot.

"It was just blood everywhere," the woman said. "It was so sad."

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The driver came to a stop against the fence, with Jacobs trapped under the vehicle. He was transported to the hospital and died, police said.

A second victim, 23, was transported to an area hospital with injuries to his right leg and torso.

Robinson was taken into custody at the scene without further incident. He was also treated at the hospital for injuries sustained during the initial altercation, Metro Video reported.

The nature of his fight was unknown.

The bar was also the scene of an August 2012 stabbing. Police said that incident, the victim of which sustained life-threatening injuries, began after a fight between two groups of men in the parking lot.

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Edwin Lopez, a friend of Jacobs, told KTRK-TV that they had just left the bar early Thursday when the speeding vehicle emerged out of nowhere. He said his friend was still alive but couldn't speak shortly before being taken to the hospital.

"He just graduated from Lamar University," Lopez told the news station. "We decided to go to college, make something of ourselves and we decided to come out and just have fun, you know and then this happened."

Rob Downen contributed to this report.