Key Points
- The fiery crash on Rainbow Bridge had sparked a security scare.
- Investigations underway as terrorism ruled out.
- The driver and a passenger died in the wreck, while a CBP officer suffered minor injuries.
US police say they are still investigating a fiery crash on the bridge linking New York state and Ontario, which sparked a security scare that closed four US-Canadian border crossings.
Security camera footage showed a car flying into the air before crashing to the ground. Source: AAP / Customs Border Protection
"Due to the complexity of the incident, the investigation will take some time to complete," Niagara Falls Police Department Superintendent John Faso said in a statement.
"At this time the identity of those involved is pending positive identification and notification to next of kin."
Video of the crash caught on security camera and posted to X by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency showed the car travelling from the US side at high speed, then hitting an object and flying into the air before crashing to the ground and exploding in flames.
The driver and a passenger died in the wreck. A CBP officer suffered minor injuries. He was treated at a hospital and released.
CNN reported the driver was a 56-year-old man who was travelling with his wife to attend a concert by the rock group KISS.
The crash unfolded at a time of heightened security concerns around the world stemming from the conflict in the Middle East and at the peak of US holiday travel on the eve of Thanksgiving celebrations.
The Rainbow Bridge and all three other border crossings along the Niagara River between western New York and the Canadian province of Ontario - the Peace Bridge, the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge and the Whirlpool Bridge - were shut for several hours as a precaution.
The three bridges that were not involved were reopened early on Wednesday evening.
