() – The deadly car explosion on the Rainbow Bridge on the US-Canada border does not appear to be terrorism-related, New York Governor Kathy Hochul said.
“I want to be very, very clear to Americans and New Yorkers: At this point, there is no indication of a terrorist attack,” the governor told reporters at a news conference Wednesday.
U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York Trini Ross reiterated the same point at a separate press conference: “Our preliminary investigation of the situation is that it was not terrorism-related, but we will continue to be vigilant. We will continue to make sure that the information we have is communicated to the public.”
Two people died in the incident.
Shortly before noon, a car approached the Rainbow Bridge on the New York side and began accelerating at a high rate of speed, according to multiple law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation.
The video shows the vehicle hitting a curb, flying over a barrier, and landing in a secondary search area, where it exploded, sources said.
Another video, obtained by , shows the car rising into the air.
Rickie Wilson told affiliate WKBW that watching the car fly past him was “almost like a movie” and that for a moment he thought it was a plane. He said the car spun a little bit as it came back to the ground and then hit something as it landed.
An image from the crash scene shows what little remains of the car, which Hochul said “disintegrated” except for the engine.
The governor confirmed the death toll after earlier concerns from law enforcement officials about the fire’s severity. A Border Patrol employee who was in a booth also suffered minor injuries, Hochul said.
Authorities believe the car was a 2022 Bentley two-door coupe, a source familiar with the investigation told .
The vehicle is associated with a resident of western New York, Hochul said. Authorities believe the vehicle may have come from a casino, although the governor could not confirm the origin. Previous reports indicated the car was traveling from Canada to the United States.
The explosion on the eve of Thanksgiving in the United States caused closures and delays on a busy travel day.
All four bridges between Canada and the United States were closed immediately after the incident, officials said. The Peace, Whirlpool and Lewiston-Queenston bridges reopened later Wednesday, Hochul said. Buffalo-Niagara International Airport said travelers should expect additional screening after the incident.
Both U.S. and Canadian leaders were briefed on the situation as the initial investigation progressed.
“At first we didn’t know if this was a terrorist attack or not,” said Erie County Sheriff John Garcia. “However, every precaution was taken … to ensure the safety of the community.” He also called the incident a “tragic accident.”
Trying to identify the victims
Authorities are trying to determine if the person the car is registered to is the same driver found at the scene, but the condition of the wreckage has made that difficult, multiple sources told . It also presented a challenge for authorities in assessing whether there were one or two people in the car.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Matthew Miraglia said officials do not believe the person they are trying to identify committed any crime.
“We don’t have any incriminating information on this person that we’ve identified. We’re looking at their social media, there’s nothing there. We’re still conducting a full investigation, so it’s a preliminary assessment.”
“There’s probably not a bigger picture to look at, but we’re still in the early stages of the investigation,” he added. “We think at this point this could just be something that happened.”
Federal authorities are also trying to recover video from different angles because witness statements vary, the sources said.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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