Kurt Villani and his wife, Monica, were the victims of a fatal car crash at the northern border crossing in western New York on Wednesday, authorities said.
Kurt Villani was behind the wheel of Niagara Falls’ Rainbow Bridge on Wednesday morning when a speeding Bentley sedan went airborne, crashed into a row of booths and burst into flames.
The 53-year-old from Grand Island, New York, and his wife died instantly.
The explosion initially raised concerns that it might have been a terrorist attack, but federal and state authorities ruled that out hours later.
The FBI Buffalo office said in a statement late Wednesday that “a search of the scene uncovered no explosives and no links to terrorism were determined.”
This investigation is currently under the jurisdiction of the Niagara Falls Police Department as a traffic investigation.
Niagara Falls Police said in a news release that the investigation into the incident, which also injured a Border Patrol agent, is expected to “take some time to complete” due to the “complexity of the incident.”
Officials said investigators believe the couple may have been heading from a casino in Niagara Falls to a Kiss concert in Toronto, which was later canceled, before the accident.
Casino operator Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino said in a statement Thursday that it is cooperating with authorities.
“We investigated and provided information regarding a vehicle that was parked at the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino shortly before the accident occurred, but only for a few minutes,” the Seneca Nation said in a statement. According to the Buffalo News.
The accident closed the Rainbow Bridge and three other bridges connecting western New York to Ontario on one of the busiest days of the year for tourists.
Security video released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection showed the car zooming through an intersection, plowing into a low median and flying into the air near an inspection booth.
The accident occurred out of sight of the camera.
“As you can imagine, this vehicle was basically incinerated. There’s nothing left except the engine. The pieces are scattered across 13 or 14 booths,” said New York Governor Kathy Hochul. he said Wednesday.
Witness Ricky Wilson was near a parked car when he turned around and saw the car become airborne.
“At first I thought it was a plane. It looked like it was in slow motion,” said a Niagara Falls tour guide. “I said, ‘Oh my god, it’s a car. It’s a vehicle and it flies.’
with post wire
