Couple Killed in Border Bridge Crash Identified

UPDATE Nov 24, 2023 11:10 AM CST

The Niagara Falls Police Department has identified the couple killed when their Bentley exploded in a crash at the American side of the US-Canada border on Wednesday. Police said Kurt Villani and Monica Villani, both 53 years old, were residents of the Buffalo suburb of Grand Island, the AP reports. The New York Times reports that the Villanis were well known in the community, and that the family business, Gui's Lumber/Ace Hardware, has multiple locations in Western New York. The cause of the crash is still unknown, but authorities say terrorism isn't suspected. The Times reports that authorities are investigating the possibility that the Bentley may have accelerated after a mechanical failure.

Nov 23, 2023 8:40 AM CST

The fireball crash at a bridge connecting the US and Canada on Wednesday killed a husband and wife who'd left a New York casino, according to reports. The couple from New York state had planned to attend a Wednesday night KISS concert in Toronto but, after learning that concert was canceled (Paul Stanley was sick with the flu), visited the casino instead, law enforcement sources tell CNN. Officials previously said the crash did not appear to be terrorism-related. No explosives were found. It remains unclear why the couple approached the Rainbow Bridge border crossing connecting Ontario and New York in Niagara Falls just before 11:30am ET.

Footage shows a white Bentley speeding toward a border checkpoint before hitting a curb and becoming airborne. The vehicle then struck a checkpoint booth and transformed into a fireball. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the vehicle "incinerated," leaving only the engine, per the CBC, which made identifying the victims difficult. Officials have yet to name the couple. A preliminary review of the man's social media accounts showed nothing of concern, per CNN. Late Wednesday evening, the FBI in Buffalo said the case had been left in the hands of the Niagara Falls Police Department of New York. The border crossing remained closed Thursday, per City News. (More US-Canadian border stories.)