Woman drove into Las Vegas pedestrians intentionally, say police

Las Vegas: The woman who swerved her car into pedestrians outside a Las Vegas casino, killing one person and injuring at least 30 others, did so intentionally, say police.

The woman, who is in her 20s, had a three-year-old child in the car with her at the time, according to police. The child was unharmed.

The woman who police said had recently arrived in Las Vegas drove a 1996 four-door Oldsmobile with Oregon license plates.

Lt. Dan McGrath says police now believe this was an intentional act by a woman in her 20s who "went up and off these streets, two or possibly three times."

The woman is being interviewed and is having her blood drawn. She is being held in jail with charges pending.

Six patients who had been admitted to area hospitals in critical condition were stable after their initial treatment.

University Medical Center spokeswoman Danita Cohen said at least one child was among the injured and that many of the victims they received spoke French and requested translators, indicating they may have been tourists visiting the area famed for its casinos and sprawling hotels.

Peter Boffelli of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department told reporters that of the three dozen injured, seven were in critical condition and four had already been released.

Boffelli said it was not immediately clear if the female driver intended to cause harm or if she was impaired, but added that she had been taken into custody. He said she was being interviewed and tested for drugs and alcohol.

"This is a huge tragedy that occurred on our strip," Boffelli said.

Clark County Fire Chief Greg Cassell said the crash occurred at around 6.38pm. The Miss Universe pageant was nearing its finale inside the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino nearby at the time.

Police warned people to avoid the area and said a section of the strip in the vicinity had been closed to traffic.

Images of the scene published by media showed a swarm of emergency and police vehicles in the area, with passersby looking on and snapping photos with smartphones.

With inputs from AP and Reuters