Mystery deepens into Bentley driver Kurt Villani who plowed $300,000 'Flying Spur' supercar into Rainbow Bridge in fireball crash that sparked terror fears - as cops release major update

The enigma of why a $300,000 Bentley collapsed into nan US-Canada separator crossing astatine 100mph and exploded, sidesplitting a mates inside, whitethorn ne'er beryllium solved arsenic constabulary adjacent nan case.

Kurt and Monica Villani, some 53, were incinerated successful nan immense fireball astatine nan Rainbow Bridge successful Niagara Falls connected November 22 while connected their measurement to a KISS stone concert.

The mates from nan occidental New York organization of Grand Island were successful a 2022 Bentley Flying Spur, which tin spell from zero to 60mph successful 4 seconds.

Security camera video showed nan Bentley title done an intersection, deed a debased median and vault precocious into nan aerial conscionable eastbound of nan bridge's main conveyance checkpoint.

The car flew for respective yards and collapsed into a statement of checkpoint booths extracurricular nan camera's view, past exploded successful a monolithic fireball that melted it.

The convulsive clang astatine nan US-Canada separator aroused fears of terrorism, but nan FBI's Buffalo agency said its investigation found nary signs of a panic attack and turned nan lawsuit complete to section police.

Eight months later, constabulary are still stumped and nan case 'is considered closed astatine this point, but tin beryllium reopened if immoderate caller grounds comes to light', Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino told The Buffalo News. 

Restaino said investigators were hampered by nan truth that nan car's arena information recorder, aliases achromatic box, was destroyed successful nan crash.

He said nary 1 whitethorn ever cognize what caused nan clang unless insurers observe it. 

The Niagara Falls constabulary investigated nan clang without uncovering immoderate answers to questions specified arsenic whether a mechanical nonaccomplishment aliases driver unwellness aliases correction was to blame.

Also chartless are whether nan achromatic container sent immoderate accusation astir nan abrupt acceleration to Bentley, aliases if nan car maker's ain investigation recovered anything.

Erin Bronner, a Bentley Motors spokesperson, told nan Buffalo News past February that Bentley Motors was conducting an investigation into nan fatal crash. 

Bronner declined to talk immoderate specifications of nan lawsuit connected Wednesday. 

Betsy Ertel, a spokesperson for nan Cincinnati Insurance Companies, which insured nan Bentley, declined to talk specifications of immoderate declare 'out of respect for nan privateness of our policyholders'.

Police said nan Villanis were killed instantly successful nan clang and pronounced dormant astatine nan scene. Whether immoderate of their relatives will record a suit is unknown.

The 2022 Flying Spur tin spell from zero to 60mph successful 4 seconds and sells for $204,500 to $309,000 new, depending connected optional extras.

The couple told friends location was a problem pinch nan accelerator successful nan weeks earlier nan crash.

Bentley recalled immoderate car models successful 2021 because accelerators were becoming stuck, sparking information fears.

The car shaper issued nan callback successful nan summertime of 2021 for Continental GT and Flying Spur models built betwixt 2018 and 2021. 

The callback announcement cited a manufacturing flaw that caused accelerators to get stuck while engaged.

'Due to inconsistent fitment of nan fuse container and nan electrical harness nan A-post little trim tin protrude into nan compartment reducing clearance to nan accelerator pedal,' nan announcement warned.

'If nan accelerator pedal is afloat pressed whilst driving and is incapable to return to its resting position, nan conveyance will proceed to accelerate, moreover erstwhile nan driver's ft is removed from nan accelerator pedal.' 

In July 1978, Villani's grandmother, Lorraine, was besides killed successful a scary clang erstwhile she was flung from a vessel connected nan Niagara River astatine 3am. 

Kurt and Gail Villani were besides connected committee astatine nan clip but were unharmed.

The vessel struck a span while Lorraine Villani was astatine nan helm. The family later successfully sued nan institution that built nan bridge, aft it was recovered to not person been decently illuminated, for $120,000 successful 1984.

Online records show that nan Villani family owns a scope of properties successful nan Grand Island-area.