Music
Driver responsible for SXSW deaths sentenced to life
by Jeremy Mersereau
November 9, 2015
"He knew what he was doing — and he didn’t care."
The driver of the car that crashed into a crowd and killed four people in Austin, Texas at last year’s SXSW has been brought to justice. Rashad Owens, 23, has been found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
By the end of the weeklong trial, prosecutors were able to convince the jury that Mr. Owens was aware of his actions and knew that his conduct could have fatal repercussions when he recklessly drove into a festival crowd at 9th and Red River streets after driving through a pedestrian-only barrier and speeding away from a policeman. “There is no other answer than that the defendant knew what he was doing — and he didn’t care,” prosecutor Amy Meredith told the courtroom. “He didn’t care who was in his way. He was not going to be stopped. He was not going to go to jail.”
The jury also heard recollections from witnesses and from family members of the deceased, who recounted to Owens the impact his actions had on their lives.
[H/T Austin Statesman]
