LAS VEGAS -- Police have identified the man who, after losing consciousness, drove his car onto a sidewalk, injuring 13 people. Police said Robert Christenson, 63, from Arizona, had an apparent "diabetic episode" while driving, causing the crash near Harmon Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard.

Christenson told medics he had no memory of causing the collision. Police said he jumped the curb and hit more than a dozen people. Firefighters said Christenson's diabetic episode caused him to go into a hypoglycemic coma.

"Earlier, the wife thought her husband was not acting right and gave him a couple sugar pills," said Officer Scott Allison with the Clark County Fire Department. "He continued driving. Apparently, he reached a point and lost consciousness, due to diabetes."

Dr. Reid Litchfield specializes in diabetes. He said anyone with diabetes has to understand their medication and the risk of hypoglycemia.

"It's not uncommon to see patients come here on vacation, having a drink or not doing what they normally do, or going a long time without eating," Litchfield said. "I think it's safe for diabetics to operate motor vehicles, depending on individual situation and medicines they're taking. They have to use precaution to ensure a responsible driver, not abusing privilege of using a motor vehicle."

He said the most important thing for people with diabetes to be aware of are the symptoms of low blood sugar and to know the appropriate steps to correct it.

"A little extra precaution and taking a few minutes to correct blood glucose," Litchfield said. "It's easily fixed and would have saved a lot time and hassle, as well as a big scare."

Metro said 14 pedestrians were hurt in Wednesday's collision. One person suffered serious injuries, while the others were not badly hurt. The people involved were from all over the U.S., Canada and Japan.