The accident serves as a tragic reminder of how important it is to stay calm if you are pulled over by a police officer. In this case, the deadly evening began when an officer who was out looking for drunk drivers noticed that Owens’ 2012 Honda did not have its headlights turned on. The officer then followed Owens and nearly crashed after Owens made an abrupt turn from the middle lane of traffic.
Owens has told authorities that he got scared when he saw police lights behind him that night and decided his best bet was to run from the officer. Owens admitted to having several outstanding warrants and was afraid of going to jail for being intoxicated. Owens was previously arrested back in 2011, at the age of 19, for drunk driving in Alaska. Rather than calmly pulling over and letting the situation play itself out, Owens chose to drive through a police barricade, hitting and killing two festivalgoers before colliding with a parked taxi. Owens then got out and tried to run on foot before an officer with a Taser subdued him.
Though it is understandable that a person would be afraid to be pulled over after having a few drinks, the absolute worst thing you can do is panic. Attempting to run from an officer will only compound your legal trouble by magnitudes. Instead, behave calmly and follow instructions. When given the chance, contact an experienced Minnesota DWI attorney who can help guide you through the process in a responsible way.
Source: “Drunken-Driving Suspect in Fatal SXSW Crash Charged,” by Will Weissert, published at ABCNews.com.