Multiple lawsuits were filed recently against the organizers of South By Southwest for the unfortunate car accident that occurred in March and resulted in the deaths of four concertgoers. According to the Associated Press, Rashad Owens has been in jail since the incident occurred at the festival in Austin when the driver plowed through a barricade and drove into a crowd of people. Another two dozen people were injured.
Companies behind the festival and the traffic design consultant were named in the wrongful death suits. "A festival organizer or traffic design consultant of ordinary intelligence would have anticipated the danger," one lawsuit alleging that there wasn't sufficient patrol reads.
SXSW released a statement to offer condolences to victim's families, but the organization did not mention the lawsuits, which were filed in both state and federal courts.
"What happened on Red River was a terrible tragedy, caused by Rashad Owen's utter disregard of human life. 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," it reads.
Excessive alcohol consumption was also cited as a factor that led to the accident. Lawsuits state that SXSW should have taken action after increased DWI and public drunkenness arrests in recent years. Owens had a BAC of .114, well above Texas' legal limit of .08.
"The only way to force a private company like South by Southwest to take action in the future is to hold them accountable for their failures in the past," an attorney for one of the victims told KXAN. "Otherwise, there's no incentive for them to do anything different."
SXSW 2015 is scheduled to take place March 13 to 22.
