Fiery car crash at US-Canada Rainbow Bridge near Niagara Falls kills 2, terrorism ruled out
- Car blast near Niagara Falls triggers border closures, sparking a massive security alert
- New York Governor Kathy Hochul says ‘no indication’ of terrorism in the incident
A speeding car crashed in flames on the bridge linking New York state and Ontario at Niagara Falls on Wednesday, killing two people in the vehicle and sparking a security scare that closed four US-Canadian border crossings and Buffalo International Airport.
Hours later federal and state authorities said investigators had found no evidence of an act of terror, though circumstances surrounding the episode on the Rainbow Bridge remained murky, leaving it yet to be determined whether the crash was accidental or intentional.
“At this time, there is no indication of a terrorist attack,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul told reporters Wednesday evening. Her comments were echoed a short time later by federal law enforcement officials at a separate news conference.
Video of the crash caught on security camera and posted to the social media platform X by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency showed the car travelling at high speed, then hitting an object and flying into the air before it crashed to the ground and exploded in flames.
The driver and a passenger perished in the wreck, and a CBP officer suffered minor injuries. He was treated at a nearby hospital and released, an agency official said later.