New York couple killed in Rainbow Bridge explosion ‘planned to go to KISS concert’
The deadly fireball crash at the Rainbow Bridge is now believed to have involved a local New York man and his wife who had ill-fated plans to attend a KISS concert over the border in Canada on Wednesay night.
Law enforcement sources told CNN that the couple, who have not been identified but are said to live in western New York, were travelling in their speeding Bentley when the car rammed into the crossing between the US and Canada and burst into flames.
The blast instantly sparked fears of a terrorist attack and prompted Canadian and New York officials to briefly shutter all border bridges between the two nations and ground planes at nearby Buffalo Airport.
Hours later, the FBI and New York Governor Kathy Hochul said that there was no signs that the incident was terror-related.
Instead, the investigation so far indicates that the couple were planning to cross the border to go to a KISS concert in Toronto that night.
But, the concert was cancelled earlier in the day due to frontman Paul Stanley being taken ill with flu.
The pair instead headed to a casino not far from the border, CNN reported.
The crash then unfolded when the couple left the casino in their Bentley.
Many questions remain as to what caused the crash and whether it was intentional or accidental, with investigators probing the possibility that the driver may have suffered a medical emergency.
Authorities said on Wednesday that the vehicle entered the Rainbow Bridge crossing from the US side of the border at a high rate of speed.
Surveillance footage captures moment car speeds into Rainbow Bridge (CBP)
Dramatic footage shows the speeding vehicle slamming into a curb and flying through the air into a border patrol screening area where it burst into flames.
Thick black smoke and roaring flames billowed up to the sky.
Witnesses described seeing the shocking moment the car speed into the checkpoint and exploded.
Authorities confirmed that two people were killed in the blast but did not release their identities on Wednesday night.
A Border Patrol agent also suffered minor injuries and was briefly treated at a local hospital.
Ms Hochul said she would not go so far as to declare the blast an “accident” just yet as the probe continues.
But, she said that the two people killed were local residents with no ties to terrorism or potential motive revealed at this time.
“I want to be very, very clear to Americans and New Yorkers, at this time there is no indication of a terrorist attack,” she said at a press conference.
“No indication based on online threats or anyone taking credit for this – at this time. It’s still unfolding. But I didn’t want to leave the public with any uncertainty.”
Fire damage is visible to the customs plaza structure at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing (AP)
She added: “Based on what is happening in the world, everyone is on edge. This is an international border. I won’t call it an accident yet. All we know is there was a horrific incident, a crash, a loss of life – but at this time: no known terrorism activity.”
The FBI’s Buffalo division also released a statement saying that no explosives had been found at the scene and that “no terrorism nexus was identified”.
The investigation has since been turned over to the Niagara Falls Police Department as a traffic investigation, the bureau said.
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