Young Fort Worth Couple Among Those Injured In SXSW Crash
UPDATE: Some of the night scene video in Austin comes courtesy of Socrates Villarreal.
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - CBS 11 News learned that a young couple from Fort Worth is among those injured in the Austin crash at the South by Southwest Festival. Both remain hospitalized – one in a medically induced coma.
The teenagers have ties to Trimble Tech High School in the Fort Worth Independent School District.
Curtisha Davis is a student at Trimble and her boyfriend, Deandre Tatum graduated in 2013. According to friends, Tatum is in the most serious condition.
Tatum and Davis were part of the crowd of concert goers standing outside, when the suspect plowed into them.
Tatum's mother said her son was hit so that he was knocked out of his shoes. Doctors have put the 18-year-old in a medically induced coma. A friend of Tatum told CBS 11 News the teen has swelling on the brain.
Tatum's parents rushed to Austin and are by their son's side. Davis's mother is with her as well.
♦♦♦ More SXSW Deadly Crash Coverage ♦♦♦
Tatum family friend Lawrence Anthony, who has been in touch with Tatum's father today, said he finds it almost unbelievable that a crash that happened so far away would end up hurting people who live here in North Texas.
"It hurt me because I look at him as a nephew -- since I've known him since we bought this house," he said. "We go to their backyard, they come to our backyard. When his car breaks down me and his dad get out there and help him fix it."
Speaking of Deandre, Anthony said he is, "…a real good kid, stays out of trouble. I think he had like two jobs."
Sources have confirmed to CBS 11 that Curtisha Davis is conscious. The 17-year-old suffered a broken neck and arm and also remains hospitalized.
Thursday afternoon friends of the two teens gathered at Trimble Tech, where students are currently on spring break.
While at the school the group called Curtisha and briefly spoke with her in the hospital. "We miss you. Get better Tish!" the friends said.
Chassity McClean is Davis's best friend, and spoke with her not long before the crash happened. Hearing her voice on the phone brought tears to her eyes. "Because it assured me she's okay. She's okay."
Davis is a senior and a cheerleader at Trimble Tech.
There is no word on how long Tatum and Davis may be hospitalized, given the extend of their injuries. Friends in Fort Worth are trying to focus on the positive. They're focusing on the fact that their friends survived the horrific, fatal crash.
One Trimble student said, "You just need to pray for them and be uplifting about it. Can't be too down about it."
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