Car Crashes Into Crowd At SXSW [Update: At Least 2 Dead]

Reports are filtering in that a car has crashed into a crowd of people at the SXSW music conference and festival in Austin, Texas.

According to theMusic.com.au's eyewitness the incident happened outside The Mohawk on Red River St. A staff member of theMusic.com.au was inside the venue when it happened. X were playing at the time.

MORNING AFTER UPDATE: The first deceased has been named after a second police briefing. Details here

Although details are sparse, people were seen to be screaming and crying while the crowd inside the venue has been asked to remain inside. People appear to have blood on them.

Police and emergency services are on the scene, with at least one individual being administred CPR. As many as 20 people could be injured in the incident.

UPDATE: Austin Police have tweeted that they are working on a crash with "multiple" fatalities in the area.

They've now confirmed that two are dead, five critical.

There will be a media briefing at 2am regarding the fatalities.

The media briefing has been delayed as more information is coming through. An individual is now in police custody. Names of the two deceased individuals will not be revealed until proper notifications are made.

UPDATE: Phone-filmed footage of the aftermath of the crash has emerged on YouTube. Please note the footage might be quite distressing for people. You can watch it here.

LIVE NOTES FROM THE PRESS CONFERNECE

Conference finished

Was a DUI driver.

Was escaping police in a silver Toyota.

Weaved through gas station and went wrong way up one-way street.

The driver drove through a barrier at a high speed, and struck two lots of people, a moped and a van.

The two deceased were on the moped. They were pronounced dead at the scene.

All the seriously injured patients were removed from the scene in 15 minutes.

One victim was in cardiac arrest, was saved but is still critical.

The individual driving has been charged with two counts of capital murder, 23 charges of aggravated assault.

Suspect was a black male, the sole passenger in the car.

Police asking for witnesses and people who have footage of the incident to contact them, and not post online.

Police reiterating that only one person is to blame, and that police shouldn't be blamed for this tragedy.

Police Chief Art Acevedo says, "I'm thankful it isn't worse than this."

Confirmation that the incident happened at 12.30am.

23 individuals have been transported. Of those 5 are in critical condition, 2 deceased. #SXSW

— Austin Police Dept (@Austin_Police) March 13, 2014

Individual is in custody. More details shortly. The names of the deceased will not be released until proper notifications have been made.

— Austin Police Dept (@Austin_Police) March 13, 2014

APD working a multiple fatality crash at 10th/Red River. PIO is responding.

— Austin Police Dept (@Austin_Police) March 13, 2014

There will be a media briefing at 2 am with all public safety at 9th and Red River regarding the fatalities.

— Austin Police Dept (@Austin_Police) March 13, 2014

Security has acted fast to cordone off the area. There are 12 squad cars on the scene.

The incident is believed to have happened around 12.30am Thursday morning local time, 4.30pm Thursday Australian east coast time.

The area is being evacuated as at 12.55am local time, 4.55pm east coast Australian time.

Downtown Austin is eerily quiet all of a sudden. No music. No sirens. #sxsw

— d crichton-rouse (@dcrvsworld) March 13, 2014

More info as it emerges...

A presumably drunk driver just hit two-three people outside the Mohawk #sxsw pic.twitter.com/wyYFuduQDl

— SPIN (@SPINmagazine) March 13, 2014

Still see traffic going down 8th, but 9th and Red River is chaotic right now. #sxsw #atx #austin pic.twitter.com/LK8gnH7JYQ

— B (@benbanner) March 13, 2014

Here's the scene outside of Mohawk right now at #sxsw after a car ran through dozens of people. pic.twitter.com/XwdspxOf3o

— Colin Kerrigan (@colinkerrigan) March 13, 2014

UPDATE: Witness on scene in Austin, @tweethorn, says several people have been hurt. #breaking #SXSW pic.twitter.com/e7VnVWPb5U

— CBSDFW (@CBSDFW) March 13, 2014

Not how I wanted to end my day at #sxsw pic.twitter.com/RMlzrJWnW1

— The Indie-Verse (@indieverse) March 13, 2014