Una mujer embistió su automóvil deliberada y repetidamente contra una multitud en Las Vegas Strip, la principal avenida de esta ciudad estadounidense, matando a una personas y dejando al menos 26 heridos, informó la Policía.
A police line blocks off part of the Las Vegas Strip after a car ran into a group of pedestrians between Planet Hollywood, where the Miss Universe pageant took place, and the Paris Las Vegas Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, on December 20, 2015. At least one person has died and more than 37 have been hurt after a car ran into a group of pedestrians on the bustling Las Vegas Strip on December 20, police said, adding the driver was in custody. AFP PHOTO / VALERIE MACON / AFP / VALERIE MACON
Police and local officials investigate a part of the Las Vegas Strip after a car ran into a group of pedestrians between Planet Hollywood, where the Miss Universe pageant took place, and the Paris Las Vegas Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, on December 20, 2015. At least one person has died and more than 37 have been hurt after a car ran into a group of pedestrians on the bustling Las Vegas Strip on December 20, police said, adding the driver was in custody. AFP PHOTO / VALERIE MACON / AFP / VALERIE MACON
Police and local officials investigate a part of the Las Vegas Strip after a car ran into a group of pedestrians between Planet Hollywood, where the Miss Universe pageant took place, and the Paris Las Vegas Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, on December 20, 2015. At least one person has died and more than 37 have been hurt after a car ran into a group of pedestrians on the bustling Las Vegas Strip on December 20, police said, adding the driver was in custody. AFP PHOTO / VALERIE MACON / AFP / VALERIE MACON
Police (bottom) block off part of the road as they and local officials investigate a part of the Las Vegas Strip after a car ran into a group of pedestrians between Planet Hollywood, where the Miss Universe pageant took place, and the Paris Las Vegas Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, on December 20, 2015. At least one person has died and more than 37 have been hurt after a car ran into a group of pedestrians on the bustling Las Vegas Strip on December 20, police said, adding the driver was in custody. AFP PHOTO / VALERIE MACON / AFP / VALERIE MACON
Police and local officials investigate a part of the Las Vegas Strip after a car ran into a group of pedestrians between Planet Hollywood, where the Miss Universe pageant took place, and the Paris Las Vegas Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, on December 20, 2015. At least one person has died and more than 37 have been hurt after a car ran into a group of pedestrians on the bustling Las Vegas Strip on December 20, police said, adding the driver was in custody. AFP PHOTO / VALERIE MACON / AFP / VALERIE MACON
Police and local officials investigate a part of the Las Vegas Strip after a car ran into a group of pedestrians between Planet Hollywood, where the Miss Universe pageant took place, and the Paris Las Vegas Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, on December 20, 2015. At least one person has died and more than 37 have been hurt after a car ran into a group of pedestrians on the bustling Las Vegas Strip on December 20, police said, adding the driver was in custody. AFP PHOTO / VALERIE MACON / AFP / VALERIE MACON
Police and members of the media are pictured along part of the Las Vegas Strip after a car ran into a group of pedestrians between Planet Hollywood, where the Miss Universe pageant took place, and the Paris Las Vegas Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, on December 20, 2015. At least one person has died and more than 37 have been hurt after a car ran into a group of pedestrians on the bustling Las Vegas Strip on December 20, police said, adding the driver was in custody. AFP PHOTO / VALERIE MACON / AFP / VALERIE MACON
A police line blocks off part of the Las Vegas Strip after a car ran into a group of pedestrians between Planet Hollywood, where the Miss Universe pageant took place, and the Paris Las Vegas Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, on December 20, 2015. At least one person has died and more than 37 have been hurt after a car ran into a group of pedestrians on the bustling Las Vegas Strip on December 20, police said, adding the driver was in custody. AFP PHOTO / VALERIE MACON / AFP / VALERIE MACON
Police block off the road as they and local officials investigate a part of the Las Vegas Strip after a car ran into a group of pedestrians between Planet Hollywood, where the Miss Universe pageant took place, and the Paris Las Vegas Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, on December 20, 2015. At least one person has died and more than 37 have been hurt after a car ran into a group of pedestrians on the bustling Las Vegas Strip on December 20, police said, adding the driver was in custody. AFP PHOTO / VALERIE MACON / AFP / VALERIE MACON
“No fue un acto terrorista”, se ha “excluido” esta hipótesis, pero “hemos determinado que fue un acto intencional”, declaró el subdirector de la Policía, Brett Zimmerman, sobre este incidente ocurrido el domingo en la noche.
Las Vegas Strip, la avenida donde se ubican los principales casinos y hoteles de esta ciudad de Nevada (oeste), atrae a una multitud de turistas de todo el mundo y suele ser un hervidero de actividad.
El incidente ocurrió la misma noche en que Las Vegas era sede del popular concurso de belleza Miss Universo, en el que se coronó Miss Filipinas.
Una turista de Wisconsin (centro-norte de EEUU) que presenció el incidente, Rabia Qureshi, dijo a la televisora local KSNV que el vehículo conducido por la mujer parecía “una bola de boliche y los cuerpos humanos eran como los bolos”.
“Uno piensa que esto era un show, porque uno está en Las Vegas”, indicó Qureshi. “Pero entonces vi gente volando por el aire”.
El incidente ocurrió poco después de las 18H30 locales, entre el hotel Planet Hollywood, donde tenía lugar en ese momento el certamen de Miss Universo, y el hotel París Las Vegas.
La sospechosa fue arrestada, y era interrogada por los detectives y sometida a diversas pruebas, incluidos exámenes de alcohol.
La Policía, que pidió a los testigos que acudieran a entregar sus testimonios, describió a la conductora como una mujer veinteañera negra, que conducía un Oldsmobile de 1996 con placas de Oregon (noroeste).
En el vehículo iba también un niño pequeño que resultó ileso.
“Ella se salió de la calzada hacia la acera dos veces o posiblemente tres”, dijo el teniente Dan McGrath, indicando que la mujer todavía no enfrentaba cargos criminales.
El subjefe Zimmerman dijo a los periodistas que una persona había muerto y que otras 26 habían sido trasladadas a los hospitales del área después del incidente.
Seis personas se encontraban en estado crítico, según el Departamento de Policía.
La Policía dio inicialmente un balance de 37 heridos, pero luego lo redujo a 26.
La sospechosa trató de huir en un primer momento, confirmó la Policía.
La cadena local KTNV informó que el University Medical Center, uno de los tres hospitales donde fueron llevados los heridos, señaló que la mayoría de estos pacientes eran de Montreal, Canadá.
El tránsito fue desviado en la zona del incidente, mientras los primeros socorristas llegaban a la caótica escena.
Las imágenes de la televisión mostraron a numerosas ambulancias y personal médico atendiendo a los heridos con los mundialmente famosos hoteles de la ciudad como telón de fondo.
Horas después del incidente, esta avenida regularmente bulliciosa permanecía inusualmente tranquila y silenciosa.
