The two people killed when their luxury car crashed into a border checkpoint in Niagara Falls and exploded in a fiery wreck were identified Friday as a western New York husband and wife whose family owns a lumber business and several hardware stores in the Buffalo area.
The investigation into what caused the 2022 Bentley Flying Spur to race through an intersection, hit a low median and become airborne Wednesday continued, with investigators looking at whether medical or mechanical issues may have contributed, Niagara Falls Police Chief John Faso told local media.
The car slammed into a row of security booths at the Rainbow Bridge and burst into flames.
Police identified the couple as Kurt P. Villani and Monica Villani, both 53, of Grand Island, a suburb on the Niagara River between Buffalo and Niagara Falls.
Online business records and the company website indicate the victims害羞草研究所� family owns Gui害羞草研究所檚 Lumber and seven Ace Hardware locations in western New York, his family operating the business since the mid-1980s.
害羞草研究所淲e would like to extend our sincere gratitude to all that extended prayers, condolences and well wishes,害羞草研究所� the families and the lumber company said in a joint statement released by the Erie County Sheriff害羞草研究所檚 Office on Friday. 害羞草研究所淎t this point, we are requesting privacy so we may begin the process of healing.害羞草研究所�
The wreck prompted widespread concern on both sides of the border, as video and images of what appeared to be the aftermath of an explosion began to circulate online and officials closed the bridge and three other nearby crossings. Authorities investigated for several hours before the FBI害羞草研究所檚 Buffalo office said it found no signs of a terror attack and turned the case over to local police as a traffic investigation.
The president of the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce said Friday that the couple害羞草研究所檚 support for their community was well known.
害羞草研究所淭hey gave from their heart, so they didn害羞草研究所檛 make a big deal about it,害羞草研究所� Eric Fiebelkorn said.
Mike Billoni was with Niagara Frontier Publications in 2014 when he photographed Kurt P. Villani and his son, Kurt Jr., as they dropped off a load of turkeys for a local food drive.
The Villanis were carrying on an annual tradition of donating 250 turkeys begun six years earlier by the older Villani害羞草研究所檚 parents, Kurt and Gail Villani, Billoni wrote in a news story at the time.
害羞草研究所淚t was such a wonderful gesture to see the philanthropy of the father passed on to the son, who then passed it down to his son,害羞草研究所� Billoni recalled Friday. It was unclear whether the tradition continued.
The eldest Villani died last year, leaving a void in the close-knit business community that has now grown with the loss of the son, Fiebelkorn said.
The Niagara Falls Police Department has said the crash investigation will take time given the complexity.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has described it as 害羞草研究所渟urreal害羞草研究所� and said the vehicle was 害羞草研究所渂asically incinerated害羞草研究所� with nothing left but the engine and a scattering of charred debris.
害羞草研究所淵ou actually had to look at it and say, was this generated by AI?害羞草研究所� Hochul, a Democrat, said at a news conference Wednesday. 害羞草研究所淏ecause it was so surreal to see. How high in the air this vehicle went, and then the crash, and the explosion, and the fire.害羞草研究所�
About 6,000 vehicles cross the Rainbow Bridge each day, according to the U.S. Federal Highway Administration害羞草研究所檚 National Bridge Inventory. The short, steel bridge offers scenic views of Niagara Falls.
