[Lee Stewart]

2 dead after vehicle crashes into Rainbow Bridge checkpoint and explodes at U.S.-Canada border in Niagara Falls

The FBI is investigating a vehicle explosion Wednesday at the border crossing between Canada and the United States after a vehicle crashed into the checkpoint structure at the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls, four senior law enforcement officials briefed on the matter said.

There were two occupants in the vehicle that crashed and both are dead, according to two senior law enforcement officials briefed on the matter.

A Customs and Border Protection officer also suffered minor injuries that did not require hospitalization, a senior law enforcement official said.

The vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed when it hit the structure, caught fire and exploded. An initial search did not find a secondary explosive or device, the law enforcement officials said, noting this was preliminary information.

Authorities are investigating whether the crash was intentional.

All western New York bridge crossings into the U.S. were shut down following the incident, the Erie County executive said. The vehicle was headed into the U.S., the Erie County Sheriff’s Office said.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...ter-rcna126397