NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Nine people were killed in a six-vehicle crash in North Las Vegas on Saturday afternoon, authorities said.
One person is in critical condition at an area hospital, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. Fifteen people were involved in the crash, according to the newspaper.
Police were called to what was described as a “mass casualty crash” shortly after 3 p.m. PST, according to KLAS-TV.
“There have been a total of confirmed nine deceased ages ranging from young juvenile to middle-aged adults,” police spokesperson Alex Cuevas told reporters, adding that speed was a factor in the crash.
Cuevas said one person was transported to an area hospital but later died.
“Our thoughts and our 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 at an 11 p.m. PST news conference near the scene.
Cuevas said a maroon Dodge Challenger was heading north at a high speed and ran a red light, hitting multiple vehicles, the Review-Journal reported. The driver of the Dodge and the other occupant in the vehicle were among those killed, according to the newspaper.
“It was a chaotic event,” Cuevas told reporters. “We have not seen a mass casualty traffic collision like this before.”
The other vehicles involved were a white Toyota, a white Ford Fusion, a tan Chevrolet Malibu, a white Hyundai Tucson and a white Mercedes-Benz SUV. the Review-Journal reported.