US: Nine killed in six-car Vegas pile-up

Nine people died in Las Vegas when a car sped through a red light and smashed into five other vehicles, police said Saturday.

One other person was in critical condition in hospital after the pile-up in the casino city in the western US state of Nevada.

“We have not seen a mass-casualty traffic collision like this before,” said North Las Vegas Police Department public information officer Alexander Cuevas.

At about 3pm, a Dodge Challenger ran a red light at an intersection, moving at “a high rate of speed,” Cuevas told a press conference.

It then “struck multiple vehicles, causing a chaotic event,” he added, saying the smash involved six vehicles and 15 people.

Nine people died, ranging in age from “young juveniles to middle-aged adults,” while one person was still in a critical condition in hospital.

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Both people inside the Challenger were among those killed.

Speaking at the same press conference, North Las Vegas councilwoman Pamela Goynes Brown decried what she called a “careless, senseless act.”

• Americas