1 dead, 26 hurt as car crashes into Las Vegas Strip sidewalk

A woman with a toddler in her car rammed into pedestrians on the packed Las Vegas Strip, killing one person and injuring at least 26 others, police said.

"This was not an act of terrorism ... we've ruled that out," Deputy Police Chief Brett Zimmerman told reporters.

But "we're looking at it as possibly being intentional."

The Las Vegas Strip -- known for its bright lights -- attracts throngs of tourists from around the world and is lined with casinos and fancy hotels.

The incident occurred on the same night that Las Vegas hosted the Miss Universe pageant, which saw the crowning of Miss Philippines.

Witness Rabia Qureshi, a tourist from Wisconsin, told the local NBC station KSNV that the vehicle looked like "a bowling ball and the human bodies were like pins."

Six of those injured are in critical condition, Zimmerman said.
Police had earlier put the number of people hurt at 37.

The suspect was undergoing several tests, including for alcohol.

Police -- urging more eyewitnesses to come forward -- would only say that she was not from Las Vegas but had been there for at least a week.

The toddler in the car was unharmed, they said.

Local media outlet 8 News NOW reported that the crash occurred shortly after 6:30 pm between Planet Hollywood, where the Miss Universe pageant took place, and the Paris Las Vegas Hotel.

Citing a witness, it said that some men tried to stop the car.

The suspect initially left the scene, police confirmed.

Another local media outlet, KTNV, reported that the University Medical Center, one of three hospitals where the wounded were taken, said most of its patients were from Montreal in Canada.  

Cars were being diverted near the Paris Las Vegas hotel, where the Strip was shut down as first responders rushed to the chaotic scene, according to CNN.

Live footage showed the usually bustling Strip taped off and closed to traffic as police examined the scene.
Source: AFP