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2 Dead, 23 Injured When Car Plows Through SXSW Crowd

A car accident left two dead and 23 injured Thursday at the 2014 South by Southwest music and film festival.
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Two people are dead and 23 injured after a car plowed into a crowd at the South by Southwest festival in Austin early Thursday morning.

Austin police say a suspected intoxicated driver went the wrong way down a one-way street while fleeing a traffic stop at high speed, then went through barricades on a closed avenue and struck bystanders. (Via YouTube / SockyTX )

CNN reports first responders treated multiple people at the scene, in some cases performing CPR on the victims.

All 23 of those injured were taken to the hospital. According to the Twitter feed for local police, five have critical injuries. (Via @Austin_Police)

Police took the driver into custody immediately following the accident.

"That man eventually jumped out of his car and tried to run away, but officers used a stun gun to subdue him. He was taken into custody. He now faces murder charges and 23 counts of aggravated assault with a vehicle." (Via WPLG)

Rolling Stone reports nearby concerts were evacuated and other Thursday events were canceled while police investigate.