The 2024 SXSW festival has added a hit-and-run accident to one of its problems for this year's iteration of the music and arts event.
After several acts have canceled their performances due to global geopolitics, the festival organizers have to mitigate another crisis-a hit-and-run accident.
Their statement however, can be described as lackluster.
SXSW 2024 Hit & Run Update
Fox 7 initially reported that an unidentified driver had hit a pedestrian at the 7th Street and Red River intersection in downtown Austin, Texas, at around 1:00 in the morning of Mar. 12, 2024.
The said location was well within the festival's wide footprint. There were two victims reported - one was left with critical and life-threatening injuries, while the other died on the scene. As of this writing, The Austin Statesman noted that the two victims haven't been confirmed if they were SXSW festivalgoers or were just pedestrians walking by in the vicinity.
An eye-witness to the incident talked to Fox 7, detailing how the accident occurred.
"It was pretty chaotic, but people were just mostly in shock," witness James Blaine told the outlet. "People everywhere. Women were freaking out. He hit two dudes, and they just popped straight up in the air. One shoe flew that way. The other shoe flew way down here."
The Austin Police Department has since identified the hit-and-run vehicle as a dark gray Mazda sedan. Other witnesses revealed that the vehicle driver "was going full speed" with "no brake lights."
SXSW Issues Statement On Hit & Run Incident
Promptly, 2024 SXSW festival organizers issued a statement addressing the harrowing situation.
"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," they said. "Our thoughts are with all affected by this tragic accident."
Billboard reports that the annual SXSW festival, which runs from Mar. 8 to Mar. 16, is expected to attract 300,000 attendees. It is unknown yet whether the festival will cancel or postpone some of its planned events to fast-track the investigation into the incident.
The problem came after several acts pulled out of their performance after learning that the United States Army sponsored the festival. The said performers stood firm in their boycott to disavow their support for the United States government's continuous partnership with Israeli forces amid the current genocide in the Gaza Strip in Palestine.
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