2 Killed, 23 Injured After Car Hits Crowd Outside SXSW Venue in Austin

[Hissyspit]

Source: KXAN

@BreakingNews: 2 killed, 23 injured after car hits crowd outside SXSW venue in Austin - @ATCEMS, @kxan_news http://t.co/yH6KsNf4mT

Two killed, 23 injured after car runs through crowd downtown

By Sydney Pruitt

Updated: Thursday, March 13, 2014, 1:44 amPublished: Thursday, March 13, 2014, 1:13 am

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Two people are dead and 23 are injured after a car hit a crowd of people outside The Mohawk.

Police say a car ran through a barricade on 10th and Red River, heading Southbound just after 12:30 a.m.

Of those injured, five were taken to the hospital in serious condition and five were taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The driver is in custody.

Mohawk has cancelled all their events for the night, and Cheer Up Charlie’s was evacuated.

Read more: http://kxan.com/2014/03/13/two-killed-multiple-injuries-after-car-runs-through-crowd-downtown/

[DRoseDARs]

1. Dollars-to-donuts this was some kook worked up over Snowden. Or a drunk.

Or both.

[christx30]

2. I doubt this has

anything whatsoever to do with Snowden. It's just some drunk that went the wrong way. He was so plastered he could barely remember his own name.
He's going to get to know Huntsville prison very well.

[exboyfil]

3. Unless he he has lots of money

and was infected by the dreaded disease affluenza.

[christx30]

15. I had that same thought.

Since it was four dead in that case, two dead in this case should be no problem.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

7. think they were kidding nt

[Journeyman]

4. C'mon. Even Yossarian didn't get THAT worked up over Snowden . . .

and the secret Snowden spilled THEN was a incredibly-disturbing tale of truth.

[WatchWhatISay]

5. Austin Statesmen says police were in pursuit before the accident

[link:http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local/reports-car-hit-pedestrians-outside-mohawk/nfB4z/|John Wickham, owner of Elysium, was on the upper level of the Mohawk, and told the Statesman he saw a car coming down the street fast with a police car in pursuit. He saw the car hit several people. He said he did not see the police car hit anyone.

www.statesman.com/news/news/local/reports-car-hit-pedestrians-outside-mohawk/nfB4z/

I love this town, but DUI and hit and runs are a big problem here.

[ReRe]

6. What the hell has happened to Austin?

It used to be the greatest place in Texas. This is a horrible situation and especially for the families of the two who died and the critically injured. Thanks for the news, Hissyspit.

[Ex Lurker]

8. It got to be a big city

With over a million people, shit is gonna happen, unfortunately.

[Codeine]

9. A guy got blind drunk and drove.

Happens in every city and town across the world, from the shittiest to the coolest to the most sophisticated.

[jsr]

11. It is fast becoming like Dallas with 2X the congestion

and like San Angelo when the water runs out.

[Paladin]

12. That's easy: Everybody who wanted "The Austin Experience" moved to Austin.

Add in factors like Dell Computer, and there you are. Nobody's more broken-hearted about present-day Austin than those of us who grew up there, with memories of the town when it really was cool.

Best wishes to all affected by this tragic incident at SXSW. Can't say I'm surprised, though.

[1000words]

20. Yup ... happening in Portland, OR, too.

[Beacool]

14. I've never been to Austin, but this event could have happened anywhere.

Unfortunately, there are drunk drivers in every state.

[wordpix]

10. horrible and glad he's charged for murder instead of some lesser thing

So many times people who drink and drive and kill others are charged with manslaughter with lesser sentences.

[Beacool]

13. So, this guy thought that running away from the police would be better than a DUI charge?

That would have been nothing compared to what he now faces. The damn fool!!!

May the couple killed rest in peace and may the others survive and recover.

[herding cats]

16. I just read they're now charging him with 2 counts of capital murder

And an additional 23 counts of aggravated assault with a vehicle. That DUI he was so scared of dims by comparison to possibly ending up on Texas' death row.

[Beacool]

17. Yeah, I heard the same thing this morning on the radio.

The DUI would have cost him some money and other punishments (I don't know what the law requires in TX), such as community service, taking defensive driving classes and a suspended license.

Instead, he will now face a possible life sentence. He ruined his life, and worse yet the lives of those he hit with his car.

Stupid......

[L0oniX]

18. Vehicular terrorism. Bad and or drunk and or texting drivers ARE terrorists too.

Chances are you are going to get it from the terrorist asshole driving close to you.

[npk]

19. Wow this guy went from probable probation to possible death penalty

Two counts of capital murder means he could be sentenced to death. Nice going man.

[christx30]

21. Update from the local news:

http://kxan.com/2014/03/13/two-killed-multiple-injuries-after-car-runs-through-crowd-downtown/

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Rashad Charjuan Owens, 21, the driver in a deadly downtown wreck who police suspected of driving drunk, will be charged with two counts of capital murder and 23 counts of aggravated assault with a vehicle after the car plowed through a crowded street full of people waiting for a South by Southwest concert.

and from heavy.com:
this link includes pictures of the suspect.

http://www.heavy.com/news/2014/03/rashad-charjuan-ownes-photos-pictures-sxsw-dui-crash-psuspect/