Jury Selection Begins For Man Accused of Driving Into SXSW Crowd

Jury selection is set to begin Monday for the trial of 23-year-old Rashad Owens, the man accused of driving into a crowd and killing two during South by Southwest in 2014.

Owens has been charged with two counts of capital murder in the deaths of 35-year-old Steven Craenmehr of Amsterdam, Holland and Austin resident Jamie West, 27. Police said that Owens fled from an officer when he was pulled over at a gas station on the I-35 service road, drove the wrong way down Ninth Street - a one-way street - and through a SXSW barricade. Police said he then drove through a group of pedestrians standing outside of Mohawk, a popular bar and music venue, killing Craenmehr and West. He is also being charged with 24 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He’s accused of injuring 24 people, some critically with his vehicle.

After being treated and released for minor injuries sustained in the crash, Owens agreed to a breath test and it showed his blood-alcohol content as .114, according an arrest affidavit. The legal blood-alcohol limit in Texas in .08.

Despite the two capital murder charges, prosecutors said they do not plan to seek the death penalty against Owens, according to KVUE.