A speeding car crashed and exploded Wednesday on a Niagara Falls bridge connecting the United States and Canada, killing the driver and his passenger in a terrifying incident that closed several border crossings on one of the busiest days. tourist activity of the year.
The Bentley sedan was going 100 mph when it hit a median near the checkpoint area on the U.S. side of the Rainbow Bridge around 11:15 a.m., flying several feet into the air and exploding into a fireball before landing. in dozens of pieces, according to federal police sources.
The explosion raised concerns about a possible terrorist attack on both sides of the border, but New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said later Wednesday that investigators had ruled it out.
“I want to be very clear to Americans and New Yorkers: At this time, there is no indication of a terrorist attack,” Hochul said at an afternoon news conference.
The scene of a car explosion on the Rainbow Bridge. Flames and smoke can be seen coming from the vehicle.
Investigators believe the two people in the car, a man and a woman, may have been headed from a casino in Niagara Falls to a Kiss concert at the Scotiabank Arena in Ontario, according to sources.
The driver, a resident of western New York, was going “at a high rate of speed” when he swerved into a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol barrier at a checkpoint on the U.S. side, Hochul and the sources said.
The car never reached the Canadian side of the border.
A Border Patrol officer who was in the checkpoint booth at the time suffered minor injuries and was treated at a hospital and later released, Hochul said.
Investigators, including those from the FBI and local police departments, ruled out the possibility that it was a car bomb, the sources said.
Authorities found something among the debris on the ground that looked of interest, but it tested negative for explosives, sources said.
Fire burns after explosion at [email protected] via Storyful Flames shoot into the sky after explosion at Rainbow [email protected] via Storyful Police personnel blocked the entrance to Rainbow Bridge while they investigated. Robert Bennett
Security camera video released by CBP showed the car going through an intersection, crashing into a low median and then flying near an inspection booth, before crashing out of camera view.
Moments later, another video, posted on X and believed to have been taken from a nearby CBP building, showed a ball of flames exploding.
“If you can imagine, this vehicle was basically incinerated. There is nothing left but the engine. The pieces are scattered in 13 or 14 stalls,” Hochul told reporters.
The aftermath of the car explosion near the Rainbow Bridge.Facebook/Jersey Coast Emergency News Parts of the car are on the road.Faceboook/FBNY
“So it’s a big scene and it’s going to take a lot of time for our federal law enforcement partners… to be able to piece together the true story to identify the make of the car.”
“Obviously there is no registration.”
The explosion caused the closure of four border crossings in the area. Robert Bennett A map showing the distance of the Bentley vehicle from the Rainbow Bridge and the US Customs House is shown.
The explosion prompted the closure of four border crossings in the area, including the Rainbow Bridge and three others between western New York and Ontario, Canada, which were closed as a precaution and were expected to reopen later Wednesday. It was unclear when the Rainbow Bridge would reopen.
Buffalo-Niagara International Airport was closed to all departing and arriving international flights, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on its website.
Airport officials said arriving cars would undergo “security checks” and told passengers to expect “additional inspections.”
Part of the car can be seen after crashing into a border crossing booth.Faceboook/FBNY
Immediately after the explosion, both Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Biden said they had been informed and were following developments.
Witness Mike Guenther said he saw the vehicle speeding toward the intersection, and the driver swerved to avoid another car before crashing into the barrier.
“All of a sudden, it went up into the air and then it was a fireball about 30 or 40 feet high,” Guenther told WGRZ-TV.
Fire damage is visible on the structure of the customs plaza at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing. AP Debris is scattered inside the customs plaza at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing. AP Buffalo-Niagara International Airport said the cars would undergo “security checks” and “additional inspections.” .”Robert Bennet
“I’ve never seen anything like that.”
Niagara Falls tour guide Rickie Wilson first thought he saw a plane when he looked near his parked car.
“It seemed like slow motion,” he told the Associated Press.
“I said, ‘Oh my God, it’s a car.’ It’s a vehicle and it’s flying through the air.’”
New York State Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said they were monitoring the situation, with the latter saying the The motives and identities of the people involved were still unclear.
“At this time, our thoughts and concerns are with U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, Canadian Border Service officers, members of law enforcement and their families,” Ortt wrote.
Law enforcement personnel blocked the entrance to the Rainbow Bridge on Wednesday.AP The Rainbow Bridge crossing overlooks Niagara Falls and connects the United States and Canada.Google Earth
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said NYPD officers had been dispatched “to support efforts on the ground.”
The Big Apple was already under “enhanced security” due to the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, Adams said, and the “public will see increased security at locations across New York City, including entry and exit points into the city.” .
Thousands of vehicles cross the bridge every day, and more than 2,000 entered the U.S. yesterday, according to statistics released by the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission.
As of yesterday, a total of 50,000 people had crossed into the United States using the bridge in November, and many more were expected today, one of the busiest tourist days of the year.
The bridge is located less than a mile from the famous falls.
Additional reporting by Nolan Hicks and Larry Celona
With post cables
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Source: vtt.edu.vn