SXSW Suspect Charged; Injured Fort Worth Teens Recovering

Local teens remain hospitalized, recovery continues in Austin

South By Southwest continues in Austin this week after several people remain hospitalized, recovering from Thursday morning's deadly car crash.

Two Fort Worth teenagers were among the injured and they remained in the hospital in Austin Friday afternoon.

Police said Rashad Owens, 21, of Killeen, was driving drunk, trying to avoid arrest and crashed into a closed street packed with people. He was charged with capital murder Friday and more charges can be added later. A district judge Friday set bail for Rashad Charjuan Owens at $3 million.

On Friday afternoon Curtisha Davis' mother, Regina, briefly spoke to NBC 5 by phone. She said that not much has changed with her daughter's condition since Thursday evening. She told NBC 5 then that Tisha had several broken bones.

Regina Davis said they were waiting on more X-rays to come back Friday, but that her daughter remains in good spirits.

Tisha, 18, went to SXSW as part of Spring Break. The Trimble Tech High School senior and cheerleader went with her boyfriend, 19-year-old Dre Tatum, who graduated from Trimble Tech last May.

They were among the 23 injured in the crash that left two dead. On Friday, they were two of the nine victims still in the hospital.

Police say most of the 23 injured people were treated and released early Thursday. A spokesman for University Medical Center Brackenridge on Friday said two patients were critical, another is serious, another is in fair condition and two patients are in good condition. St. David's HealthCare had three victims in fair condition.

Both the Fort Worth teens are at University Medical Center Brackenridge. Tatum was last reported to be in the intensive care unit at the hospital.

Lawrence Anthony, who lives across the street from the Tatum family and is a close friend, said Derrick Tatum, Dre's father, returned home overnight but went back to Austin on Friday morning.

"He's holding up all right, like I said, everybody has just got everybody in their prayers," Anthony said. "We got faith, we know he's going to be all right. Youngster, he's going to be all right."

Anthony asked for continued prayers for all the victims. On Thursday night, classmates of Davis' at Trimble Tech prayed outside of the school and talked about how she was a great person with a great smile.

Tatum, according to Anthony, was working two jobs and was a good, respectful young man. 

"I know the doctors, they are going to do their best and that's a good hospital that he's in," Anthony said. "So like I say, he'll land back on his feet, he'll be all right."

On Friday, Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell tweeted that more than $33,000 had been raised for the victims of the crash through an online donation website.

Meantime, the suspect, Owens, has been formally charged with one count of capital murder and is being held on $3 million bond.

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