UPDATE: Two Dead, 23 Injured as Police-Chased Car Hits SXSW Music Festival Crowd
Two people are dead and 23 injured after a car being chased by police smashed through a crowd of people outside a music venue at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas early this morning.
In a report from Matthew Keys, eyewitnesses stated that a black sedan was being chased by police when it broke through a barricade and hit several people outside the Mohawk Bar. The Austin-Travis County EMS Public Information office reports that five of the 23 injuries are considered serious.
According to KVUE News, Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo stated that the incident began with a DWI stop at a gas station. The unnamed suspect allegedly fled by driving the wrong way down a one-way street. Acevedo stated that officers tased and apprehended the suspect.
South by Southwest is one of the music industry's biggest annual events, with thousands of artists expected to perform on one of over 100 stages across Austin this year.
UPDATED: Police have released more details about last night’s fatal SxSW tragedy. Consequence of Sound reports that, according to Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo, two of the 23 injured people are in critical condition, with another three listed as serious. Fifteen have been released. SxSW organizers are scrambling to re-book events in other venues. Nothing has been canceled, an act which Acevedo said would be ”a victory for evil.”
Eyewitness Video Shows SxSW Crash Aftermath