US (Washington Insider Magazine) —U.S. border officials released video capturing the moment a speeding car went airborne, crashed into a cabin and exploded on the Rainbow Bridge, the border between New York and Canada.
The video, shared by the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP), shows the astonishing trajectory of the vehicle and the subsequent consequences of fire.
The images begin with a white car advancing at an alarming speed a few meters from the border posts. Suddenly, the vehicle crashes into a median, launching it into the air. In a surreal mid-air spin, the car crashes, resulting in a catastrophic explosion that engulfed both the vehicle and the cabin in flames.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul described the video as “absolutely surreal” during a press conference Wednesday afternoon. She emphasized the extraordinary nature of the incident and expressed her disbelief at the car going over an eight-foot-high fence.
“I had never seen anything like it. The car just exploded,” exclaimed a witness captured on another video as huge columns of black smoke billowed from the burning vehicle.
Governor Hochul revealed that two people in the car tragically lost their lives, while a border officer suffered minor injuries. Despite the seriousness of the incident, Hochul indicated that, based on current evidence, there is no indication of terrorist activity. However, the governor acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding the driver’s intention.
“US authorities have informed me that we do not know if the driver’s driving was intentional. We don’t know,” stated Ella Hochul, addressing lingering questions about the cause of the incident.
However, a statement issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Wednesday night reported that no explosive materials were found at the scene and no terrorist link was identified. The investigation has been turned over to the Niagara Falls Police Department, treating it as a traffic investigation.
A sign indicates that all bridges between the US and Canada are closed after a car crashed and exploded on The Rainbow Bridge on November 22, 2023 in Niagara Falls, New York.
As a result of the ongoing investigation, the Rainbow Bridge remained closed Wednesday night, causing disruptions at border crossings. Governor Hochul emphasized that the investigation could take days and stressed the need to ensure public safety before reopening the bridge.
“This is a large and very spread out scene, and we are trying to identify all the elements to make sure there are no unforeseen situations that we need to address before we can open to the public again,” said Governor Hochul.
It is worth mentioning that thousands of vehicles cross the Rainbow Bridge every day and more than 2,000 entered the United States on Tuesday, according to statistics published by the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission.
This article is originally published on eldiariony.com/