The organizers of SXSW have spoken out following a fatal hit-and-run in downtown Austin during the early morning hours of Tuesday, March 12.
Two people were hit, the Austin American-Statesman reported. One died at the scene and another was critically injured and transported to a local hospital.
The incident occurred at the corner of East Seventh and Red River streets, a main thoroughfare for the iconic annual music festival.
"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," said SXSW's statement posted to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
"Our thoughts are with all affected by this tragic accident."
The post also says that, "This is a developing situation and more updates may become available."
The identities of the victims have not been released at this time. It's not clear if they were attending SXSW.
This hit-and-run is strikingly similar to a wreck that killed four people at the festival in 2014, which led organizers to up their security measures in the years that followed.
Rashad Owens, the driver responsible for the previous incident, was sentenced to life in prison in 2015.
'Our thoughts are with all affected by this tragic accident,' the organizers said. 'This is a developing situation and more updates may become available.'
This year has already been a rocky one for SXSW. Several musicians have pulled out of the festival due to its ties to the defense company RTX Corporation (formerly Raytheon) and the U.S. Army. Many of these artists have also framed the move as a protest of Israel's military operations in Gaza.
"I have decided to pull out of my official SXSW showcases in protest of SXSW’s ties to the defense industry and in support of the Palestinian people," said musician Ella Williams, a pivotal figure in the boycott effort.
"There are many ways SXSW is harmful to working musicians, but I am pulling out specifically because of the fact that SXSW is platforming defense contractors including Raytheon subsidiaries as well as the U.S. Army, a main sponsor of the festival."
This year's event got off to a rocky start after many artists pulled out over SXSW's ties to the U.S. military.
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SXSW has also come under fire for the amount it pays performers.
This year fees for SXSW 2024 were raised to $350 for bands and $150 for solo artists, but a single SXSW 2024 music pass costs $995.
The Black Keys will speak at SXSW's keynote event on Thursday, March 14. The appearance will come just weeks before the release of their upcoming 12th studio album Ohio Players.
The group is also currently working on a documentary called This Is a Film About the Black Keys with director Jeff Dupre.
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