Niagara Falls crash victims named as married couple after horror CCTV emerges
The victims of a major explosive car crash at the border crossing between the US and Canada have been identified by New York police.
Kurt P. and Monica Villani, both 53, died on Wednesday when they crashed into a median at the border crossing, the Niagara Falls Police Department (NFPD) announced. The vehicle was travelling at high speed at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing, with CCTV catching the car moments before it erupted in a fireball.
Kathy Hochul, New York Governor, said there was “no sign” the incident was a terrorist attack, stating a “local individual” was involved and both who were inside the car died. "There is no evidence at this time that this was a terrorist activity. And that's what I want to make very clear to the public," she said.
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At 11:27am on Wednesday morning Mr and Mrs Villani were travelling at over 100mph in their white vehicle when it took off from the ground before erupting in a huge explosion. It occurred on the American side of the Rainbow Bridge crossing, when the vehicle was driving at speed towards the US checkpoint from Canada.
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This security video shows the white car moments before it erupted in a high speed crash (AP)The NFPD Crash Management Unit is investigating the incident, which also resulted in the injury of a 27-year-old border force official. The border crossing points between Canada and Western New York were closed after the incident.
Former secret service agent Michael Verden explained to Fox New Digital that the explosion was explainable. "If the car has a half tank, a full tank of gas at 100 miles an hour, when it hits cement, that vehicle is going to explode. It's going to explode like a bomb. … There's rationale behind the vehicle exploding is my point."
Police vehicles moved in to block the Rainbow Bridge after the crash (AFP via Getty Images)He added that cell phone information in the area would have helped to identify the victims. "There's a lot of information because of where they were. They're going through a border crossing. So it's not like just some random surface street. This is the main thoroughfare. So there's going to be a lot of information.”
Witness Mike Guenther recalled seeing a vehicle speeding towards the crossing when it swerved to avoid another car, before crashing into a fence and exploding. "All of a sudden he went up in the air and then it was a ball of fire like 30 or 40 feet high. I never saw anything like it."
After the incident, three bridges between western New York and Ontario were closed as a precaution, while the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport began running security checks on all cars, telling passengers to expect additional screenings as they went through.
Homeland Security were deployed to prevent traffic to Rainbow Bridge, one of the four major crossings between US and Canada (Getty Images)An FBI spokesperson said: "The FBI Buffalo Field Office is investigating a vehicle explosion at the Rainbow Bridge, a border crossing between the US and Canada in Niagara Falls. The FBI is coordinating with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners in this investigation. As this situation is very fluid, that’s all we can say at this time." NFPD has said it will be difficult to finally determine the exact cause of the crash.
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