A vehicle that crashed into a Canada-U.S. border crossing and exploded Wednesday, killing two people, was a “horrific accident” and not an act of terrorism, New York’s governor said.
Gov. Kathy Hochul said the extent of the damage at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing connecting Ontario and New York state in the Niagara Falls region meant it will take time to determine exactly what happened. But she confirmed to reporters that the vehicle appeared to crash into a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) booth at a high rate of speed, exploding upon impact.
“The vehicle is basically incinerated. Nothing is left but the engine,” she said, adding the debris was spread out over a dozen or so checkpoint booths.
“At this time, there is no indication of a terrorist attack.”
Security camera video released by the U.S. government showed the car race through an intersection on a wet road, hit a low median and vault high into the air in a CBP area just east of the main vehicle checkpoint. The car flew for several metres, twisting, and then crashed into a line of booths out of the camera’s view.
Hochul, who visited the scene of the crash, said she viewed the security video that she called “absolutely surreal.”
“You actually had to look and say, ‘was this (video) generated by AI? Because it was so surreal to see how high in the air this vehicle actually went, and then the crash and the explosion,” she said. Hochul said the video will be released to the public.
A CBP law enforcement official told Global News on background that a field officer was taken to hospital with minor injuries as a precaution and has since been treated released.
Hochul said the officer was protected by the booth they were inside that was hit by the vehicle.
The identities of the two people in the car who were killed weren’t released. Hochul said it wasn’t clear whether the driver — who she identified as a western New York resident — was intentionally heading for the bridge, which crosses the Niagara River. She said there was “suspicion” that the vehicle may have been travelling from Niagara Falls, Ont.
The incident took place on one of the busiest travel days of the year for the U.S., one day before the American Thanksgiving holiday. All other border crossings in the Buffalo-Niagara region were closed, and security measures were heightened at all other checkpoints across the Canada-U.S. border, the Buffalo Niagara International Airport and local railway networks.
The Peace Bridge, Queenston-Lewiston Bridge and Whirlpool Bridge crossings were reopened Wednesday evening, a CBP official confirmed to Global News. The Rainbow Bridge crossing remained closed as investigators scoured the large debris field from the crash for evidence.
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Hochul earlier directed the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force to monitor all points of entry to New York.
In Canada, Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc said in a news conference that Canada is taking the situation “extremely seriously.”
“Any time a piece of infrastructure as important to Canada and the United States, like a border crossing, sees this kind of violent circumstance, it’s a source of concern for the Government of Canada and for the United States,” LeBlanc told reporters.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau provided a brief update on the situation to the House of Commons during question period before leaving for another briefing with LeBlanc.
Heading into a House of Commons committee hearing Wednesday, Canadian Security Intelligence Service director David Vigneault told reporters an investigation into the incident is underway.
The Rainbow Bridge connecting Canada and the U.S. remained shut down at Niagara Falls and the FBI said its Buffalo, N.Y., field office was investigating.
The FBI has yet to comment further on the incident.
The U.S.-based NITTEC, made up of agencies in New York and southern Ontario and which provide real-time traffic updates and border crossing information to travelers, had confirmed the bridge closure in a social media post Wednesday afternoon, saying the bridge “is closed from Main St to Falls Ave in Niagara Falls because of a crash.”
The closure was reported at 11:51 a.m., the traffic authority coalition said. It is made up of member agencies including the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, the New York State Department of Transportation, the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission, New York State Police and the Ontario Provincial Police.
The Niagara Regional Police Service told Global News the bridge is closed due to an investigation. It later said on X, the platform formally known as Twitter, that U.S. officials were leading what they described as “an active and ongoing investigation.”
The Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement that Trudeau is in contact with U.S. officials.
“The minister of public safety, RCMP and CBSA are fully engaged and providing all necessary support,” he said.
The Canadian Border Services Agency said in a social media post that it’s aware of “an evolving situation at Rainbow Bridge.”
“We are liaising with our U.S. counterparts on this matter. The FBI is leading on the ongoing investigation.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford also said on social media that he is aware of the situation unfolding on the Rainbow Bridge.
“Our provincial law enforcement is actively engaged in assessing the situation. They are working with local law enforcement and are providing support as required,” he said.
The White House has confirmed that U.S. President Joe Biden has been briefed on the situation and that he and his team are monitoring developments. Biden was in Nantucket, Mass., with his family and a small team of advisors for the Thanksgiving holiday.
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas confirmed on social media that there was “no indication of a threat related to this incident.”
Security ramped up
Toronto Police said in a social media post that they are increasing patrols of uniformed officers throughout the city “out of an abundance of caution” due to the incident at the border. The force noted there are no known threats for Toronto.
The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority said it was increasing security at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport and regional rail systems.
Buffalo Airport said in a statement that cars coming in will be checked by security, and travelers can expect “additional screenings.”
Both the Buffalo and Niagara Falls Airports are fully operational, it said.
“We advise travelers to give themselves time for these extra precautions in addition to holiday travel,” the statement said.
However, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration later advised that all international flights had been grounded at the airport. The advisory was lifted Wednesday evening.
With files from the Canadian Press
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