Judge Wants Trial by November for Texas Music Festival Crash Suspect

A judge is pushing attorneys for a trial by November in the capital murder and aggravated assault case against the driver accused of smashing into a crowd of South By Southwest festival goers, killing four.

State District Judge Cliff Brown told attorneys at a hearing in Austin on Friday to appear before him every 11/2 months to report the status of their preparations for the trial of 22-year-old Rashad Owens. He set the next hearing for Feb. 23.

Investigators say Owens was fleeing police in his car after an attempted late-night traffic stop last March when he crashed through a barricade and into a crowd attending the music festival. The crash also left nearly two dozen people injured.