Tragedy at SXSW. Two people were killed and 23 were injured when an alleged drunk driver crashed through barricades at South By Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas, on Thursday, March 13, the Associated Press reports.
According to police, the crash occurred very early Thursday morning after the driver tried to escape pursuing officers. The man, whose name has not been released, struck pedestrians on a crowded street filled with concertgoers. He then tried to flee the scene before an officer used a stun gun and took him into custody.
"We had a large crowd," Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo said in a news conference Thursday. "I just thank God that a lot of the folks had already been pushed on the sidewalk or this could have been a lot worse."
According to the Los Angeles Times, Tyler, The Creator was scheduled to perform outdoors at a nearby venue when the accident occurred. The 23-year-old rapper tweeted early Thursday morning: "Show Isnt Happening, Something Sad Happened. I'm Bummed."
The driver faces two counts of capital murder and 23 counts of aggravated assault with a vehicle.