The SXSW festival issued a statement on Tuesday morning (March 12) about a deadly incident that took place earlier in the day in downtown Austin on the first night of this year’s annual gathering of bands and music industry folks.
“We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of an individual in downtown Austin following an auto-pedestrian accident that took place shortly after 1:00 am this morning,” read the statement. “Our thoughts are with all affected by this tragic accident.”
A spokesperson for the Austin Police Department said that no additional information was available yet about the incident, including whether the alleged driver or the victim in what local reports described as a hit-and-run were attending SXSW. The Austin-American Statesman also reported that it was unclear if the people struck were affiliated with SXSW
Local station Fox 7 reported that police were still looking for the unnamed driver in the crash that left one unidentified pedestrian dead and another injured after they were struck while walking through the intersection of 7th Street and Red River, which is within the festival’s wide footprint. Fox 7 said one of the pedestrians was taken to a local hospital with critical, life-threatening injuries, while the other died at the scene.
In 2014, a deadly hit-and-run killed four people and injured 20 during SXSW in an incident that resulted in increased security and stronger barricades around official events. The driver in that incident was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison. The Statesman reported that a lawsuit filed by one of the families of the deceased claimed the festival could have done more to secure the event, noting that 153 pedestrians had been hit by vehicles during previous SXSWs.
This year’s SXSW is expected to draw 300,000 attendees to downtown Austin during the event that runs from March 8 to 16.
See the festival’s statement below.