Hit and Run at SXSW (South by Southwest) festival in Austin, that led to the death of two people and left 23 others injured, may have been done intentionally. 

According to the police sources, the culprit was fleeing the drunk-driving check at the nearest gas station when he decided to crash the speeding automobile through the annual film and music extravaganza.

The 21-year old culprit, Rashad Charjuan Owens, was identified as a resident of Killeen, Texas and is being held in police custody. He was nabbed by a policeman when he tried to escape on foot, after having crashed his car. The incident occurred just outside The Mohawk club on the Red River Street.

Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo addressed a press conference in the aftermath of the SXSW crash, saying that the toll could have been higher given the number of people in attendance this year.

"We had a large crowd. I just thank God that a lot of the folks had already been pushed on the sidewalk or this could have been a lot worse," said Acevedo, adding that there would be no change in security plans and checkpoints at the SXSW venues.

"We do these events very well, but you cannot stop a person who rather than face drunk-driving charges decides to speed at a high rate of speed, go around a uniformed officer forcing him to run out of the way, then at a high rate of speed show total disregard for the sanctity of human life," said the Austin Police Chief.

He had also urged the bystanders and other spectators (who remained uninjured) to share any footage or pictures of the incident with the police, instead of posting them on the internet, YouTube or other social media network.

Eye witness accounts of the hit and run crash describe it as a "horrifying thing" with "bodies being tossed in the air." The SXSW festival 2014 will end on March 16, 2014.