The car in which the American couple who lost their lives after the serious accident and explosion on the Rainbow Bridge on Wednesday was traveling may have had a mechanical fault.
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The vehicle, a Bentley worth an estimated $300,000, was traveling at more than 165 km/h when it crashed into a fence. It was then propelled into the air, before exploding and bursting into flames.
The two occupants Kurt Villani and his wife Monica Villani, wealthy 53-year-old New York entrepreneurs, died in the tragedy.
If some have mentioned a terrorist act, this is not the case. Rather, the vehicle may have had a mechanical defect, reports the New York Times.
The FBI had also confirmed, a few hours after the accident, that it had closed its own investigation after finding “no explosive material or any link to terrorism”.
The crash is now the subject of a “collision investigation” by the Niagara Falls Police Department. Driver discomfort cannot be ruled out.
The husband and wife in the car were on their way to the KISS concert in Toronto, a concert that was canceled because frontman Paul Stanley had the flu.
Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino also told the New York Times that investigators are looking at a possible mechanical failure.
Police told the Buffalo News it was a 2022 Bentley sedan, valued at approximately $300,000.
Erin Bronner, a spokeswoman for the U.S. branch of Bentley Motors, told AFP that authorities had not yet contacted the automaker about the incident.
The couple stopped briefly at the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino before the crash about 1.2 miles away.
The Villanis owned several businesses in Western New York, including the family business Gui’s Lumber, near their home in the small upstate community of Grand Island.
They were both members of the Niagara Sailing Club in Grand Island and were prominent members of the community.
The victims’ friend, Chuck Meyer, also described the couple as good neighbors and friends.
“It’s really a shock and a devastation, and it’s really heartbreaking,” Meyer said of her reaction to the news. “They were so loved. They were so generous and kind and always willing to help,” he added. “They were just always willing to help, to lend a hand. Always, always, always.”
