Astonishing new image shows $300k Bentley flying through the air before exploding at Niagara Falls checkpoint
- US police said Thursday they were still investigating the fiery crash on the bridge connecting New York state with Ontario 24 hours earlier.
- A new image that appeared on X, formerly known as Twitter, shows the luxury bike turning sideways as it hurtles through the air at breakneck speed
- US federal agencies, including the FBI, have now confirmed that the incident was not a terrorist event, after fears prompted several bridge closures
An astonishing new image shows the moment the $300,000 Bentley involved in the Niagara Falls checkpoint explosion soared through the air moments before igniting.
US police said Thursday they were still investigating the fiery crash on the bridge connecting New York state and Ontario the day before.
The dramatic fireball incident at 11:29 a.m. Wednesday sparked security fears and the closure of four U.S.-Canadian border crossings the day before Thanksgiving.
A new image that appeared on X, formerly known as Twitter, shows the luxury bike turning sideways as it hurtles through the air at breakneck speed.
The car was driven by a 56-year-old Manhattan businessman with his wife in the passenger seat, on their way to a KISS concert.
This astonishing new image shows the moment the $300,000 Bentley involved in the Niagara Falls checkpoint explosion soared through the air moments before it ignited
The crash caused a wave of panic and led to the closure of several border crossings
Footage shows the luxury sedan careening over a median and throwing it high into the air before the explosive impact on the U.S. Customs Building at the Rainbow Bridge.
US federal agencies, including the FBI, have now confirmed that the incident was not a terrorist event. The Niagara Falls Police Crash Management Unit has taken over the investigation.
“Due to the complexity of the incident, the investigation will take some time,” department Superintendent John Faso said in a statement.
“At this time, the identities of those involved await positive identification and notification of next of kin.”
The Bentley, believed to be a Flying Spur, is available in both petrol and hybrid models, and it is unclear which one this was.
Video of the crash, captured by a security camera and previously posted to X by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), showed the car traveling at a high speed from the U.S. side.
A Bentley Flying Spur, as driven by the businessman and his wife on Wednesday
A Border Patrol agent approaches the crash site after the explosion on Wednesday
The immediate aftermath of the explosion on the U.S. side of the Rainbow Bridge border crossing at Niagara Falls on Wednesday
It then hit an object and flew into the air before crashing to the ground and exploding into flames.
The driver and a passenger were killed. A CBP officer suffered minor injuries, was treated at a hospital and released.
CNN reported that the driver was a 56-year-old man traveling with his wife to attend a concert by the rock group KISS.
The crash occurred at a time of heightened safety concerns around the world due to the conflict in the Middle East and at the height of U.S. holiday travel on the eve of Thanksgiving celebrations.
The Rainbow Bridge and all three other border crossings along the Niagara River between western New York and the Canadian province of Ontario – the Peace Bridge, the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge and the Whirlpool Bridge – were closed for several hours as a precaution.
A video taken from a building next to the checkpoint shows the massive explosion
The aftermath of the explosion at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing at Niagara Falls on Wednesday
The three bridges that were not involved reopened early Wednesday evening.
The Rainbow Bridge connects the United States with the Canadian city of Niagara Falls.
Mayor Jim Diodati told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation he hoped the border crossing would reopen Thursday or Friday.