The deadly high-speed crash that sparked panic at a Niagara Falls border checkpoint this week is being investigated as possible mechanical failure — despite it being a new $300,000 Bentley, police confirmed to The Post on Friday.
Driver Kurt Villani and his wife Monica, both 53, were killed instantly Wednesday when their 2022 Flying Spur literally took flight after hitting a barrier at around 100mph, crashing down in a huge fireball on the New York side of Rainbow Bridge.
It sparked a heightened state of alert, with several other border crossings shuttered — until the FBI confirmed that night that it had found “no explosive material, and no terrorism nexus.”
Niagara Falls cops are now investigating it as a “traffic investigation” — and looking at whether the luxury British car simply malfunctioned.
An earlier recall by the luxury British brand involved fears accelerator pedals could get stuck, but Bentley said it did not apply to the Villanis’ one.
The couple inside the vehicle, both of whom were in their 50s and owned several businesses in Western New York, were killed upon impact. via REUTERS“We’re investigating every issue,” police Superintendent John Faso told The Post Friday when asked about possible mechanical failure.
Faso confirmed that the car — which Gov. Kathy Hochul said was “basically incinerated” in the crash — was a 2022 Flying Spur, which Bentley calls “the pinnacle of luxury,” a “unique combination of exhilarating performance and exquisite craftsmanship” capable of hitting 60mph in just four seconds.
Erin Bronner, a spokeswoman for the American arm of Bentley Motors, told The New York Times that authorities have not yet contacted the automaker about the incident.
She maintained that the Villanis’ car would not be tied to a recall in 2021 over a risk that their accelerator pedals could become stuck, which only applied to older, right-hand drive models not sold in the US or Canada.
Dramatic video posted online showed the $300,000 vehicle going airborne. APIn a statement provided to The Post, Bronner said Bentley would work with investigators.
“We are saddened to hear about the incident on Rainbow Bridge on Wednesday. We will work with the authorities if we can help the investigation in any way. Our thoughts are with the family of the occupants of the car,” she said in the written statement.
Faso, meanwhile, said that investigators are “obviously” also looking into the possibility that Villani could have had a medical episode, leaving him to lose control with his foot on the accelerator.
But there’s “no confirmation of that,” said Faso, who would not discuss if the driver had any known conditions.
The vehicle crashed into a border patrol booth and burst into flames. via REUTERS“It’s too early in the investigation to pinpoint a cause,” he cautioned, stressing that “the investigation will take some time to complete.”
The Villanis had been on their way to Toronto to see KISS, but the concert was canceled when frontman Paul Stanley caught the flu.
They are known to have stopped briefly at the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino before the crash about a mile away.
“We are cooperating with law enforcement,” a rep for the casino confirmed to WGRZ, saying it had “reviewed and provided information related to a vehicle that stopped at Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino only for a matter of minutes shortly before the crash occurred.”
The Niagara Falls Police Department’s Crash Management Unit has taken over the investigation. Robert BennettThe couple owned several businesses, including the family business Gui’s Lumber near where they lived in the small upstate community of Grand Island.
They were both members of the Niagara Sailing Club on Grand Island, and were prominent members of the community, the club’s treasurer, Scott Henderson, told WGRV.
“Not only were people talking, but then I made an announcement and some people were just incredibly shocked,” he said.
“It’s just not only a younger couple like that, but so ingrained and influential in this community.”
A map showing the distance of the Bentley vehicle from the Rainbow Bridge and US Customs.
The victims’ friend Chuck Meyer also described the couple as good neighbors and kind friends.
“It’s really shock and devastation, and it’s gut-wrenching, really,” Meyer said of his reaction to the news. “They were so loved.
“They were so generous and kind and always willing to help,” he said.
“You know, just plowing everybody’s driveway for the love of it, you know what I mean? Just always willing to help lend a hand. Always, always, always.
“They were just so very kind, wonderful people.”
