A drunk driver killed two people and left 23 injured after running from a police drunk stop at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas early Thursday morning. The identity of the driver is being withheld, but police say he has been charged with two counts of capital murder and one count of assault with a vehicle for each of the 23 people he hit, including two who are still in critical condition.
At around 12:30 a.m. on Thursday, police signaled a man in a gray Toyota to pull into a Shell gas station for a sobriety check. After pulling into the station, the driver pulled away from the police at high speed, turning right down 9th Street, which is one-way in the opposite direction. At Red River Street, the driver broke through barricades meant to restrict the area to pedestrian traffic. He then sped up Red River through the crowds of pedestrians, including a long line at the door of the Mohawk music venue. The driver hit a woman on a moped and a Dutch man on a bicycle, killing both.
The rampage ended when the drunk driver rammed a taxi carrying one passenger. He attempted to flee the scene on foot, but a police officer was able to subdue him with a stun gun. The suspect was treated for minor injuries at the same hospital as many of his victims, then taken into police custody. Organizers of South by Southwest said the festival will continue as planned.
