NY Governor Reveals 'No Indication Of Terrorist Attack' After Car Explosion

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has given an update on the car explosion that occurred at Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls.

Hochul spoke on the shocking incident and emphasized that there was no cause for alarm regarding it being a possible terrorist attack.

Her statement comes after preliminary information on the accident noted that there were no explosives found inside the vehicle after a search.

Hochul revealed during a press conference that there were no signs that the car accident at Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls was an attempted terrorist attack.

The governor described the shocking incident, saying she saw a video of an "airborne vehicle," and it was "absolutely surreal." According to Hochul, she questioned if the video was AI generated due to how high the car was in the air before crashing down and exploding.

While speaking on the suspicions that it was a terrorist attack, Hochul said, "At this time, there is no indication of a terrorist-involved attack here at the Rainbow Bridge in western New York."

When asked how they came to the conclusion that it was not related to a terrorist attack, Hochul said, "No indication based on online threats or anyone taking credit for this - at this time. It's still unfolding. But I didn't want to leave the public with any uncertainty."

She added, "There is no evidence at this time that there was terror activity." 

Hochul stated that she understood people's worries and anxieties regarding the possibility of a terrorist attack, noting that the incident took place at an international border. Plus, the FBI is investigating, and a "Joint Terrorism Task Force" as assigned to the case. 

"Based on what is happening in the world, everyone is on edge. This is an international border," Hochul said. "I won't call it an accident yet. All we know is there was a horrific incident, a crash, a loss of life - but at this time: no known terrorism activity."

Continuing her statement to the press, Hochul noted how anxious people were about understanding the whole picture surrounding the car accident, which saw two individuals lose their lives. She said that her goal was to "dial back the anxiety."

Hochul said, "There are still a lot of unanswered questions. But at this time, we just needed to dial down the temperature. We are investigating, but at this time, there is no sign of terrorist activity."

The governor noted that one of the vehicle's occupants was a "Western New York resident." She emphasized that seeing the video of the car crash will cause "disbelief at how [it] went so high, over an 8-foot-high fence."

"The fact that other people and vehicles were not damaged... It was a very congested area. Thank God no one else was injured," Hochul stated.

The duo who died in the car accident were reportedly a husband, 56, and his wife. They were driving in a $300,000 Bentley and had crossed the border to allegedly watch a Kiss concert in Ottawa, Canada on Tuesday night.

Unfortunately, the Kiss concert got canceled due to one of the band members, Paul Stanley, contracting the flu. Due to this, the now-late couple decided to spend their time at a casino.

According to the New York Times, the driver was known to frequent the casino and often crossed the border.

An early search by law enforcement officers found that there were no secondary explosives in the vehicle, but this is preliminary information, pending a proper investigation into the accident.

At the moment, all western New York bridge crossings into the United States have been shut down. 

Besides the husband and wife duo in the car who died, a Customs and Border Protection officer also suffered minor injuries and has reportedly been released from hospital.