SXSW Organisers Sued For Negligence Over Fatal Crash

The organisers of Austin's annual South By Southwest industry conference and showcase have been named as defendants in a series of lawsuits filed on behalf of victims injured or killed during this year's event when they were struck by an allegedly inebriated driver who was fleeing a police stop.

Although the vehicle's driver, Rashad Owens, was charged with more than 20 offences in the wake of the incident, which killed four people, the Austin American-Statesman reports that additional lawsuits have been filed by four firms across three courts (on behalf of eight victims) that specifically name not only Owens but the event organisers as well as "a local engineering company" involved in planning SXSW's traffic management system as the parties responsible for the crash.

According to the American-Statesman, three of the suits have been filed on behalf of people who were killed in or as a result of the crash — 27-year-old Austin local Jamie West, 18-year-old De'Andre Tatum, of Fort Worth, and 35-year-old Dutch music executive Steven Craenmehr.

"We want to hold South By Southwest accountable for the deaths that were the result of an absolutely preventable tragedy," attorney Scott Hendler, who is representing Craenmehr's kin, said.

The plaintiffs' assertion that the crash was preventable is further outlined in the suit filed by Hendler, which reads, "It was foreseeable and predictable that an errant vehicle (whether driven by a drunk driver, a tired driver, or an elderly and confused driver) might drive into the cordoned-off area on Red River Street because there are 20,000 errant vehicle incidents in the United States each year.

"The owners, planners and organizers of a downtown urban music festival should have recognized that risk given their nearly three decades of experience holding the festival. 

"If SXSW had adhered to industry standards and utilized adequate traffic control measures, Steven Craenmehr would be alive today."

As Austin-based TV station KVUE reports, SXSW has issued a statement in response to the lawsuits.

"What happened on Red River was a terrible tragedy, caused by Rashad Owens' utter disregard of human life," it read. "Our hearts continue to ache for those injured and the families of those who lost their lives. We look forward to his prosecution for his awful crimes."