As our readers are likely aware, Austin is currently hosting a large music festival, the South By Southwest festival. Sadly, tragedy struck at the festival early today.
Around 12:30 a.m., a car went through some of the festival’s barricades and struck a number of people, including a woman who was on a moped and a man who was riding a bicycle. The moped rider and the bicyclist were killed in the accident and 23 other people suffered injuries.
According to authorities, the driver of the car was in the process of evading police at the time of the accident. Authorities claim that, just before the crash, a drunk driving patrol had attempted to pull the car over, but that the driver refused to comply and attempted to flee.
Purportedly, the car in question was a stolen vehicle.
Authorities say that, after the crash, the driver tried to leave the scene on foot. Police stopped him through the use of a stun gun. He was then placed under arrest. He is facing capital murder and aggravated assault with a vehicle charges in connection to this fatal accident.
This terrible occurrence underscores how devastating the results of motor vehicle accidents can be. Given the deadly potential of motor vehicle accidents, it can never be overstated how truly important it is for drivers to not engage in dangerous behavior when out on the roads.
One hopes that drivers who cause fatalities through wrongful actions are held responsible for the vast harm they have caused. Civil claims and criminal charges are two of the mechanisms through which such accountability can be brought about.
Source: WFAA, “Killeen man named as suspect in South By Southwest tragedy,” March 13, 2014
