Bentley driver who hit Rainbow Bridge border checkpoint at 100 mph in fiery crash was heading to Kiss concert in Canada after visiting NY casino
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A speeding car crashed and exploded on a Niagara Falls bridge connecting the US and Canada Wednesday — killing the driver and his passenger in a fear-inducing incident that shut down several border crossings on one of the busiest travel days of the year.
The Bentley sedan was going up to 100 mph when it rammed into a median near the checkpoint area on the American side of the Rainbow Bridge at around 11:15 a.m. — flying several feet into the air and bursting into a fireball before landing in dozens of pieces, according to federal law enforcement sources.
The blast raised concerns of a possible terror attack on both sides of the border, but New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said later Wednesday that had been ruled out by investigators.
“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 evening press conference.
The scene of a reported car explosion at the Rainbow Bridge.
Flames and smoke can be seen shooting out of the vehicle.
Investigators believe the two people in the car, a man and a woman, may have been heading from a casino in Niagara Falls to a Kiss concert at the Scotiabank Arena in Ontario, according to the sources.
The driver, a Western New York resident, was going “at a high rate of speed” when he swerved into a US Customs and Border Patrol barrier at a checkpoint on the US side, Hochul and the sources said.
The car never made it to 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 then released, Hochul said.
Investigators, including from the FBI and local police departments, ruled out the possibility of a car bomb, sources said.
Authorities found something in the debris on the ground that looked of interest, but it turned up negative for explosives, the sources said.
A fire burns after the explosion at the border.
Flames shoot into the sky after the explosion at the Rainbow Bridge.
Law enforcement personnel blocked off the entrance to the Rainbow Bridge while they investigated.
Security camera video released by CBP showed the car zooming through an intersection, ramming into a low median, and then going airborne near an inspection booth, before crashing out of the camera’s view.
Moments later, another video — posted to X and believed to be taken from a nearby CBP building — showed a ball of flames exploding.
“If you can imagine, this vehicle basically incinerated. Nothing is left but the engine. The pieces are scattered over 13, 14 booths,” Hochul told reporters.
The aftermath of the car explosion near the Rainbow Bridge.
Parts of the car sit on the road.
“So it is a large scene and it’s going to take a lot of time for our federal law enforcement partners … to be able to piece together the real story to identify the make of the car.”
“Obviously, there is not a license plate.”
The explosion prompted the closure of four border crossings in the area.
A map showing the distance of the Bentley vehicle from the Rainbow Bridge and US Customs 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, that were shuttered as a precaution and expected to reopen later Wednesday. It was not clear when the Rainbow Bridge would reopen.
The 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 screenings.”
A piece of the car can be seen after crashing into a border crossing booth.
In the immediate aftermath of the blast, both Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Biden said they had been briefed and were following the developments.
Witness Mike Guenther said he saw the vehicle speeding toward the crossing, with the driver swerving to avoid another car before hitting the barrier.
“All of a sudden, he went up in the air and then it was a ball of fire like 30 or 40 feet high,” Guenther told WGRZ-TV.
Fire damage is visible to the customs plaza structure at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing.
Debris is scattered inside the customs plaza at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing.
The Buffalo-Niagara International Airport said cars would undergo “security checks” and “additional screenings.”
“I never saw anything like it.”
Niagara Falls tour guide Rickie Wilson first thought he saw an airplane when he looked up near his parked car.
“It looked like slow motion,” he told the Associated Press.
“I said, ‘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 US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said they were monitoring the situation, with the latter saying the motives and identities of the people involved remained unclear.
“At this moment, our thoughts and concerns are with U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents, Canadian Border Service agents, members of law enforcement, and their families,” Ortt wrote.
Law enforcement personnel blocked off the entrance to the Rainbow Bridge on Wednesday.
The Rainbow Bridge crossing overlooks Niagara Falls and connects the US and Canada.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said NYPD officers had been sent “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 egress points into and out of the city.”
The bridge sees thousands of vehicles cross every day, with more than 2,000 entering the US yesterday, according to statistics posted by the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission.
A total of 50,000 have crossed into the US using the bridge in November, as of yesterday, with plenty more expected today, one of the busiest travel days of the year.
The bridge is located less than a mile from the famous falls.
ADDENDUM: Experts suggest the Bentley suffered a malfunction that caused it to accelerate to 100 mph.
EDITOR'S NOTE: "Here it comes. FBI Director Wray warned Americans last week of the possibility of terrorist attacks. The wife and I were on that bridge in September. I expect more of the same only in middle America. Keep vigilant and stay out of crowds. Stay strapped." - Trey Rusk
1 comment:
Fire should not prevent the car from being identified. Special trained units will find the hidden VIN that may be stamped deeply on the frame. Also all pieces from the car will be analyzed and put together like a puzzle. Any number from most pieces on the car such as an airbag will be numbered and can be traced to that particular vehicle. In 2006, 19 car were burned beyond recognition in a huge fire at when a plant exploded in Texas City, Texas. All 19 vehicles were identified by the local Auto Crimes Task Force.
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