A six-vehicle crash that killed nine and left one person in critical condition was caused by a driver who sped through a red light, Nevada police said.
The crash occurred after a Dodge Challenger driving at a ‘high rate of speed’ on Commerce Avenue, Las Vegas, ran a red light at 3 pm Saturday and struck multiple vehicles.
Six cars and 15 people were involved in the crash, North Las Vegas Police spokesman Alexander Cuevas told reporters at a news conference.
Some of the vehicles struck were pushed into a vacant lot at the intersection.
Two people were taken to University Medical Hospital, where one died and the other was in critical condition as of 11 PM Saturday, Cuevas said.
The driver of the Dodge Dart and a passenger were among the fatal victims, police said.
The other five vehicles involved in the accident were a white Toyota, a white Ford Fusion, a tan Chevrolet Malibu, a white Hyundai Tucson, and a white Mercedes Benz SUV.
‘Our thoughts and prayers are with the families who are experiencing a tremendous and unnecessary loss due to a careless and senseless act,’ North Las Vegas Councilwoman Pamela Goynes-Brown said after the crash.
At this time, it is not suspected that the driver of the Dodge (identity not released yet) was impaired from drugs or alcohol, according to police.
Last year, Nevada reported more than 380 fatalities caused by traffic accidents, making it the deadliest year on the state’s roads in 14 years.
‘We have not seen a mass casualty traffic collision like this before,’ Cuevas said at the briefing around 11 pm local time.
‘Please make this a safer community by slowing down. Pay attention to speed limits,’ he added.
The ages of the people who died ranged from young juveniles to middle-aged adults. Roads were blocked off on West Cheyenne Avenue, according to MSNBC.
