The driver of a Bentley that exploded on Rainbow Bridge earlier this week was “alert and unimpaired” when he frantically slammed on the brakes, an expert says.
Vincent A. Ettari, a civil engineer, told the New York Times that he believes Kurt Villani frantically slammed on the brakes of his 2022 Flying Spur when it exploded on Wednesday.
Villani and his wife Monica, both 53, were on their way to a KISS concert when the horror accident occurred on Wednesday.
Vittari, who serves as a road design expert in trials, said a dark smoke behind the car seen in surveillance footage suggests Villani was not impaired at the time and knew what was happening.
He told the outlet, “At 100 miles per hour, everything is at stake,” although officials have not yet been able to determine exactly what went wrong with the vehicle.
In this image from security video, a light-colored vehicle (top center) flies over a fence into the Rainbow Bridge toll plaza, Wednesday, November 22, 2023, in Niagara Falls, NY
Vincent A. Ettari, a civil engineer pictured here, said he believes Villani was frantically touching the brakes of his car when it exploded Wednesday
Kurt Villani, 53, was killed with his wife on Wednesday when their Bentley lost control and crashed on the Rainbow Bridge. It will be shown in 2014
The couple was sitting in their $300,000 Bentley at the time and had told friends in the weeks before the accident that there had been a problem with the accelerator pedal. Bentley has not yet commented on the tragedy.
Niagara Falls Police Chief John Faso told local media Friday that the investigation was continuing into what caused the car to speed through an intersection, hit a low median and become airborne.
Faso said investigators are looking into whether medical or mechanical problems may have contributed to the incident.
The car crashed into a row of security booths at the Rainbow Bridge and burst into flames.
The wreck sparked widespread concern on both sides of the border as videos and images of what appeared to be the aftermath of an explosion began circulating online and officials closed the bridge and three other nearby crossings.
Authorities investigated for several hours before the FBI office in Buffalo said it had found no signs of a terrorist attack and turned the case over to local police as a traffic investigation.
Online business records and the company website show that the victims’ family owns Gui’s Lumber and seven Ace Hardware locations in New York, and that his family has operated the business since the mid-1980s.
The families and the lumber company said in a joint statement released Friday by the Erie County Sheriff’s Office: “We would like to extend our sincerest thanks to everyone who has offered prayers, condolences and well wishes.”
“At this point we ask for privacy so we can begin the healing process.”
Police personnel block the entrance to the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls on Wednesday, November 22, 2023
The couple was driving a 2022 Flying Spur, similar to the vehicle shown in the image above
Niagara Falls police said the accident investigation will take time due to its complexity.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul described it as “surreal” and said the vehicle was “basically burned” and nothing remained but the engine and scattered charred debris.
“You actually had to look at it and say, ‘Was this generated by AI?’” Hochul, a Democrat, said at a news conference Wednesday. “Because it was so surreal to see how high that vehicle flew into the air, and then the accident, the explosion and the fire.”
On Thursday, members of the Grand Island community paid tribute to the couple as a generous and considerate couple.
“You know, I just plow everyone’s driveway for fun, you know what I mean?” Just always willing to help and lend a hand. Always. always always. “They were just so very, kind, wonderful people,” said resident Mary Meyer.
The massive explosion occurred when the car crashed at an immigration checkpoint
Workers block the entrance to the U.S.-Canada Rainbow Bridge border crossing in Niagara Falls, Ontario, on Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023
Chuck Meyer added, “Without ever being asked, they just gave and gave, and that’s the kind of people we lost.”
Since the incident, it was revealed that Bentley had recalled some car models in 2021 due to stuck accelerator pedals, sparking safety concerns.
In the summer of 2021, the car manufacturer recalled the Continental GT and Flying Spur models, which were built between 2018 and 2021.
The recall notice cited a manufacturing defect that caused the accelerator pedals to become stuck when turned on.
“Due to incorrect assembly of the fuse box and electrical wiring harness, the lower A-pillar trim may protrude into the interior, reducing the distance to the accelerator pedal.”
“If the accelerator pedal is fully depressed while driving and cannot return to the rest position, the vehicle will continue to accelerate even if the driver removes their foot from the accelerator pedal,” the statement said.
Wednesday’s incident is not the first time a member of the Villani family has died in a horrific accident.
In July 1978, Villani’s grandmother, Lorraine, was killed when she was thrown from a boat traveling along the Niagara River at 3 a.m. Kurt M. and his wife Gail Villani were also on board at the time, but were uninjured.
The boat struck a bridge while Lorraine Villani was at the helm. After it was discovered that the bridge was not properly lit, the family later successfully sued the company that built the bridge for $120,000 in 1984.
Online records show the Villani family owns a number of properties in the Grand Island area.