South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual event that features film, interactive and music festival and brings in crowds to Austin, Texas. Unfortunately, a recent accident event that occurred in the middle of the SXSW crowds looked liked something out of a movie. The event left two people dead and 23 more injured. The horrible pedestrian accident occurred when a vehicle and multiple people on Red River and 10th Streets in downtown Austin early Thursday morning were struck by what appeared to be a drunk driver.
Of the 23 reported injured, officials said five were in critical condition. Austin Police first tried to pull over the driver at a gas filling station on the Interstate 35 service road around 12:30 a.m. That was when the driver fled from the police and drove down the wrong way on 9th Street, a one-way street. After the irresponsible driver turned onto Red River, the man drove at a high rate of speed and then crashed into pedestrians. According to Austin police, the suspected drunk driver crashed into a man and a woman on a moped. He then hit a taxi and a van, before stopping the vehicle and fleeing on foot. The police caught up to the driver and tased the person into submission. The death-causing driver was then taken into police custody. Austin Police report that the driver will be charged with two counts of capital murder. The events leading up to the death of the individuals appear to support a wrongful death case.
Texas has lost two more lives as the result of irresponsible driving. The two people on the moped were killed. In addition to the two deaths, twenty-three other people were injured and five have critical injuries.
On behalf of our law firm, our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims, as well as those being treated in area hospitals.
– Article By Richard Weaver, a Texas lawyer based out of Houston, serving Austin and San Antonio.
