In a devastating incident at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing between the United States and Canada, Kurt P. Vallani and Monica Villani, both 53 years old and residents of Grand Island, New York, lost their lives when their vehicle crashed into a median. The Niagara Falls Police Department (NFPD) released a statement expressing their condolences to the families affected by this tragedy. The NFPD Crash Management Unit is currently investigating the incident.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul confirmed that the incident occurred at 11:27 a.m. on Wednesday and stated that there is no indication of it being a terrorist attack. Hochul emphasized that a “local individual” was involved and both occupants of the vehicle died. The incident prompted the closure of international border crossing points between Canada and Western New York. One person, a 27-year-old male, sustained minor injuries and was transported to a nearby hospital.
Michael Verden, a former Secret Service agent and founder of security consulting agency The Lake Forest Group, explained that the vehicle’s explosion was likely due to the impact of the crash. He highlighted the combustible nature of a vehicle with a full tank of gas traveling at high speeds. Verden also mentioned the potential use of cell phone data to aid in the identification of the victims, given the location of the crash at a busy border crossing.
The Niagara Falls police anticipate that determining the exact cause of the crash will be a complex task. Further updates on the investigation are expected.
Please note that Audrey Conklin is a digital reporter for Digital and FOX Business. For any tips or inquiries, you can reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter at @audpants.
