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.
“At this time, there is no indication of a terrorist attack.”
Hochul said she viewed security video from the scene that showed the vehicle becoming airborne as it flew into the CBP booth. She said a CBP official inside the booth was injured.
“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 Motorcycle accident toronto today on background that a field officer was taken to hospital with minor injuries as a precaution and has since been treated released.
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 Motorcycle accident toronto today.
Hochul has 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.”
“The prime minister and I will receive further information in the coming moments,” he said, shortly before both he and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau left question period for a briefing.
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 Motorcycle accident toronto today 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.”
A Niagara Falls Police officer directs tourists in Niagara Falls, N.Y., away from the Rainbow Bridge border crossing after a car is reported to have exploded within the customs plaza, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023.
Derek Gee/The Buffalo News via AP
Fire damage is visible to the customs plaza structure at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023, in Niagara Falls, N.Y.
Derek Gee/The Buffalo News via AP
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.”
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.
Michael Novakhov, a New York state assemblyman whose district includes Brooklyn, posted on X that government offices in the immediate area around the Rainbow Bridge crossing were evacuated in the immediate aftermath of the explosion.
© 2023 Motorcycle accident toronto today, Toronto Car Accident News.