Couple killed in bridge explosion at Niagara Falls identified, cause of crash unknown
Police in New York have identified the couple who were killed in a vehicle explosion at the New York-Canada border when their car crashed at the Rainbow Bridge on Wednesday.
WIVB reports Niagara Falls police said Friday the victims are Grand Island residents Kurt P. Villani, and his wife, Monica Villani, both 53 years old. Video showed their car traveling at a high rate of speed before hitting a median, going airborne and hitting a structure near the U.S. border inspection booths before exploding and bursting into flames, killing both people.
According to WGRZ, Kurt and Monica Villani were members of the Niagara Sailing Club on Grand Island and well-known in their community.
“It’s really shock and devastation and it’s just gut wrenching really, really. They were so loved,” Mary Meyer told the Buffalo TV station. “They were so generous and kind and always willing to help. You know, just plowing everybody’s driveway for the love of it, you know what I mean? Just always willing to help and lend a hand. Always. always, always. They were just so very, kind wonderful people.”
The cause of the crash is still under investigation by Niagara Falls police as a “traffic investigation.” The FBI said late Wednesday it concluded its own investigation after finding no evidence of a terrorist attack, and no explosive materials at the scene.
“Due to the complexity of the incident, the investigation will take some time to complete,” the Niagara Falls Police Department said on behalf of its Crash Management Unit. “The City of Niagara Falls would like to extend our sincere condolences to the families as they deal with this tragedy.”
In this image taken from security video, a light colored vehicle, top center, flies over a fence into the Rainbow Bridge customs plaza, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023, in Niagara Falls, N.Y. A vehicle exploded at a checkpoint on the American side of a U.S.-Canada bridge in Niagara Falls Wednesday, leaving two people dead and prompting the closing of four border crossings in the area, authorities said.Customs Border Protection via AP
Sources told CNN that investigators believe the couple planned to attend a KISS concert in Canada, but when it was canceled they went to the Seneca Niagara Resort and Casino instead. The crash reportedly occurred after the pair left the casino in a Bentley.
The crash prompted Rainbow Bridge and three other bridges connecting Western New York and Ontario to close out of an abundance of caution. Both U.S. President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau received briefings, and Gov. Kathy Hochul visited Western New York to announce there were no signs of terrorism involved.
Hochul said the car was “basically incinerated” with nothing left but the engine and a scattering of charred debris.
“You actually had to look at (the video) and say, was this generated by AI?” Hochul said at a news conference. “Because it was so surreal to see. How high in the air this vehicle went, and then the crash, and the explosion, and the fire.”
WIVB reports one border patrol officer suffered minor injuries in the incident, which occurred around 11:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Three of the border crossings reopened Wednesday night. The Rainbow Bridge re-opened Thursday around 6:30 p.m.