UPDATE 4-One dead, dozens hurt in crash near Las Vegas Miss Universe pageant

* Crash near Miss Universe venue
* One confirmed dead, at least 36 injured
* Seven people in critical condition - police
* Some of victims from Montreal - hospital

(Adds police comment on 'possibly intentional,' not terror
attack, details, paragraphs 2-8)
By David Becker
LAS VEGAS, Dec 20 (Reuters) - One person was killed and
dozens were injured on Sunday night when a motorist drove onto a
crowded sidewalk on the Las Vegas Strip, near the hotel and
casino where the Miss Universe pageant was being held, officials
said.
An 11-year-old was among the injured, along with visitors
from Montreal, Canada, said University Medical Center
spokeswoman Danita Cohen. Some had requested translators,
indicating they may have been tourists visiting the famous
gaming and hotel destination.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Deputy Chief Brett Zimmerman
said the female driver, who was in police custody, may have
plowed into victims intentionally. She had a 3-year-old in the
car with her and was being tested for drugs and alcohol. The
3-year-old was not hurt.
Zimmerman said police had ruled out the possibility that the
crash was an act of terrorism. The United States is on high
alert after 14 people were killed in an attack in the
Californian city of San Bernardino earlier this month.
Las Vegas authorities have given injury tallies ranging from
26 to 36 people, with as many as seven in critical condition.
"This is a huge tragedy that occurred on our strip," Peter
Boffelli of the Las Vegas Police Department said.
Rabia Qureshi, a tourist visiting from Wisconsin, told
broadcaster KSNV that she saw victims "flying through the air"
when the car crashed into the throng of people.
"The car was like a bowling ball and the human bodies were
like pins," she said.
Clark County Fire Chief Greg Cassell said the crash
occurred at around 6:38 p.m. The Miss Universe pageant was
nearing its finale inside the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino
nearby at the time. L1N14A00F
Police warned people to avoid the area and said a section of
the strip in the vicinity had been closed to traffic. Delays
were expected for hours.
A Reuters witness said there was a swarm of emergency and
police vehicles in the area. Some among a gaggle of passersby
were using smart phones to snap photos of the scene, while
others seemed nonplussed.

(Reporting David Becker and Rollo Ross in Las Vegas, Curtis
Skinner in San Francisco, and David Bailey in Minneapolis;
Writing by Curtis Skinner; Editing by Mary Milliken and Robert
Birsel)