Authorities quickly ruled out a terrorist attack as the cause of this week’s fatal crash at the Rainbow Bridge border between Canada and the U.S., which has logically left investigators considering whether a mechanical fault in the Bentley was to blame, or whether the driver suffered a medical episode.
Shocking video footage of the accident shows a white Bentley approaching the Niagara Falls crossing at extremely high speed, and being launched airborne after failing to make the gentle right-hand curve in the road. The car burst into flames when it collided with part of the border building on landing, killing the driver and passenger instantly and leaving a border guard with minor injuries.
Police have since named the couple as as Kurt P. Villani and Monica Villani, both 53. The married couple, business owners from New York, had only traveled a short distance from the nearby Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino when the accident happened, and were just 13 minutes away from their home in affluent Grand Island, north of the famous falls. The pair had been scheduled to see a concert by the rock band Kiss, but the show was called off due to one of the band members becoming unwell.
Related: Car That Ploughed Into US-Canada Border Bridge Was A Bentley Owned By New York Man
Robert Restaino, the mayor of Niagara Falls, told The New York Times that investigators were considering whether the couple’s Bentley may have experienced some sort of mechanical glitch that caused it to suddenly accelerate as it approached the border checkpoint. After the FBI ascertained that terrorism played no part in the collision, the Bureau handed over sleuth duties to local authorities who have been trying to piece together the couple’s movements and say it will be some time before the investigation is completed.
Another possibility that authorities will be considering is whether Mr Villani suffered some kind of medical emergency while behind the wheel, such as a heart attack or stroke, that forced him to accelerate aggressively towards the bridge.