sxsw car crash in downtown austin
Two are killed and 23 are injured in a terrible accident on Thursday morning. The drunk driver responsible for the SXSW car crash faces 2 counts of capital murder and 23 counts of aggravated assault with a vehicle. Reuters

Tragedy struck downtown Austin early Thursday morning when a drunk driver in a gray Honda careened off the road, leaving two people killed and at least 23 injured. The SXSW car crash occurred outside the Mohawk nightclub at 12:30 am.

According to LA Times, a drunk driver, whose identity is not released, attempted to flee a sobriety checkpoint early Thursday. Sadly, the drunk driver rammed right through a barricade that separated cars from the concert goers. The suspect struck a cyclist, a moped carrying two passengers, and a taxi before hopping over the sidewalk and into a large crowd. Finally, the vehicle struck a van and police managed to subdue the intoxicated driver with a stun gun.

Unfortunately, both the cyclist and one of the passengers on the moped were killed in the horrific SXSW car crash. What's more, 23 bystanders were injured. Music fans were gathering before the Mohawk nightclub to see rapper Tyler, The Creator's performance at 1 am.

The rapper's performance was cancelled in light of the tragedy. Tyler, The Creator tweeted moments after the incident: "Show Isnt Happening, Something Sad Happened. I'm Bummed."

According to authorities, the drunk driver faces 2 counts of capital murder and 23 counts of aggravated assault with a vehicle. Hollywood Take has reported that one of the victims was 35-year-old music executive Steven Craenmehr of MassiveMusic. Friends of Craenmehr issued the following statement on Facebook:

"It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden passing of our close friend and colleague Steven Craenmehr, 35, on March 13th, 2014 at SXSW. During the 8 years that Steven worked for MassiveMusic, we got to know him as an unstoppable force, full of life, love and laughter. This is an irreplaceable loss for the MassiveMusic family and we are grateful for the years we spent with him. Our thoughts are with Steven’s family and friends. Please note that tonight’s MassiveTalent Night has been cancelled."

Despite the tragedy, officials announced that the SXSW festival will continue. "We cannot allow one individual to ruin a celebration of life, of music," Police Chief Art Acevedo explained.

"We would all like to go home, but we feel an obligation to carry on," South by Southwest chief Roland Swenson said. "It would cause more problems for people to show up and be turned away than to carry on."

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to those affected by the tragic accident that took place last night here in Austin," SXSW announced in a statement on Thursday. "We appreciate and commend the first responders as well as the city agencies who so quickly sprung into action." Schedule and venue changes will be forthcoming; announcements will be made on its website and Twitter.