Regrettably, the aftermath of the hit-and-run that horrified music fans and concertgoers last week during the South by Southwest festival has continued to take its toll. A third victim, Sandy Thuy Le, was pronounced dead Sunday night.
A drunk driver, Rashad Charjuan Owens, was attempting to evade police when he plowed into a crowd of fans gathered outside of a venue partaking in SXSW. Two individuals, Steven Craenmehr and Jamie West, were killed at the scene while riding a bicycle and moped, respectively. Another 23 were transported to Austin hospitals. Le would later die of the resulting head trauma. As of Monday morning, seven victims from Thursday's events were still hospitalized.
Owens is currently being held on two charges for capital murder and 23 counts of aggravated assault. A representative for the Austin city police department couldn't comment on whether the charges will be changed to reflect the death of a third victim, but told Rolling Stone "The whole case will be presented to a Travis County Grand Jury and they will determine what, if any, other charges will be added."
"She lived in this whimsy that almost made you jealous, she was a very carefree and nonchalant person with a definitely giving spirit, and she was very selfless," said Stuart Gates, the brother-in-law of Le, to The Clarion Ledger from her hometown in Mississippi. "She was full of life, she was quirky, and she was always someone you were looking forward to seeing."
The music festival formally wrapped up on Sunday night.
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