A police investigation into the crash and explosion that killed two people in a high-powered luxury car at a Niagara Falls border crossing last year has concluded with the crash's cause still a mystery, authorities said.
The probe into the Nov. 22, 2023, crash that killed Kurt and Monica Villani, both 53, "is considered closed at this point, but can be reopened if any new evidence comes to light,” Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino told The Buffalo News this week.
Restaino said investigators were hampered by the fact that the car’s event data recorder, or black box, was destroyed in the crash.
The Villanis, who were from the western New York community of Grand Island, were in a 2022 Bentley Flying Spur that crashed and exploded at the Rainbow Bridge connecting the cities of Niagara Falls, Ont., and Niagara Falls, N.Y.
Security camera video showed the Bentley race through an intersection, hit a low median and vault high into the air just east of the bridge's main vehicle checkpoint. The car flew for yards (metres) and crashed into a line of checkpoint booths outside the camera’s view.
The violent crash at the U.S.-Canada border aroused fears of terrorism, but the FBI’s Buffalo office said its investigation found no signs of a terror attack and turned the case over to local police.
The Niagara Falls police investigated the crash without finding any answers to questions such as whether a mechanical failure or driver error was to blame, the newspaper reported.
Calls to the Niagara Falls police placed by The Associated Press were not returned, and a staff member in Restaino's office said the mayor was not available to speak on Wednesday.
Restaino told the Buffalo News that no one may ever know what caused the crash unless insurers discover it.
A message seeking comment was sent to the Cincinnati Insurance Companies, identified by authorities as the company that insured the Bentley.
Erin Bronner, a Bentley Motors spokesperson, told the Buffalo News last February that Bentley Motors was conducting its own investigation into the fatal crash.
Bronner declined to discuss any details of the case on Wednesday.
Police said the Villanis were killed instantly in the crash and pronounced dead at the scene. The Edmunds.com website describes the 2022 Flying Spur as a high-powered luxury car that can go from zero to 60 miles (96 kilometres) per hour in four seconds. When new, the vehicle sold for US$204,500 to US$309,000, depending on which options were purchased, the website said.
Police in Halifax say the death of a Walmart employee who was found inside an oven in the store last month is not suspicious, but they are refusing to release any additional details.
Spirit Airlines said Monday that it has filed for bankruptcy protection and will attempt to reboot as it struggles to recover from the pandemic-caused swoon in travel and a failed attempt to sell the airline to JetBlue.
Prince Harry will meet with children in Vancouver as part of his work with the Invictus Games to bring the event to schools everywhere.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government could have acted faster on reining in immigration programs, after blaming 'bad actors' for gaming the system.
Nine people were injured, including two critically, after a stolen vehicle collided with a TTC bus in North York early Monday morning, Toronto police say.
The Kremlin warned Monday that President Joe Biden's decision to let Ukraine strike targets inside Russia with U.S.-supplied longer-range missiles adds 'fuel to the fire' of the war and would escalate international tensions even higher.
A few weeks ago, they learned the tickets they booked last August were never real.
Mounties in B.C. are asking the public for help locating a father and his two children who have not been seen since Friday.
A trial is to begin today for two men accused of smuggling migrants across the Canada-U. S. border.
Police in Halifax say the death of a Walmart employee who was found inside an oven in the store last month is not suspicious, but they are refusing to release any additional details.
Prince Harry will meet with children in Vancouver as part of his work with the Invictus Games to bring the event to schools everywhere.
Nine people were injured, including two critically, after a stolen vehicle collided with a TTC bus in North York early Monday morning, Toronto police say.
Police and agriculture officials seized more than 80 goats and two sheep from a property in Sherbrooke, P.E.I., on Friday.
Two-thirds of Canadians are optimistic about where human rights are headed in this country, but there is growing pessimism about the state of rights abroad, a new survey found.
A trial is to begin today for two men accused of smuggling migrants across the Canada-U. S. border.
The Kremlin warned Monday that President Joe Biden's decision to let Ukraine strike targets inside Russia with U.S.-supplied longer-range missiles adds 'fuel to the fire' of the war and would escalate international tensions even higher.
South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday lives should not be put at risk in a standoff between police and hundreds of illegal miners stuck underground in a disused mine shaft and the miners should be recovered safely.
Australian senators on Monday voted to censure an Indigenous colleague who yelled at King Charles III during a reception in Parliament House last month.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband.
Thieves broke into the grounds of Windsor Castle, King Charles' residence west of London, and stole two vehicles from royal land, police said, in a major breach of security.
New Orleans police were investigating after two people were killed and nine others were wounded in two separate shootings Sunday along a parade route, authorities said.
Parliament closes in on its eighth week of gridlock over a privilege motion, as Canada Post employees are on strike and calls emerge to exclude Mexico from upcoming trade talks.
Support for Ukraine will be tested at the G20 summit as nations clash over whether they should continue offering military support for Kyiv or impose a truce on a conflict which began with Russia's invasion nearly three years ago.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government could have acted faster on reining in immigration programs, after blaming 'bad actors' for gaming the system.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating an E. coli outbreak in at least 18 states linked to some organic carrots, which has led to at least one death.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has pledged to tackle high rates of chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity as President-elect Donald Trump's pick to lead the US Department of Health and Human Services. They’re goals that many in the public health world find themselves agreeing with — despite fearing what else the infamous anti-vaccine activist may do in the post.
Mary Kellerman, a 12-year-old girl from Illinois, told her parents she was feeling sick on the morning of Sept. 29, 1982. She wanted to stay home from school. After taking one Tylenol capsule, Mary collapsed on the bathroom floor. She died shortly after.
Strategies for mitigating the negative mental health effects of social media tend to focus on reducing time spent scrolling, according to a B.C. researcher, who says there may be a way to limit the harm without logging off.
While it remains small compared to established online spaces such as X, Bluesky has emerged as an alternative for those looking for a different mood, lighter and friendlier and less influenced by Musk.
A species of marine worm that scientists lost sight of for almost 70 years has finally resurfaced, thanks to some eagle-eyed sleuthing and a seahorse less than an inch long. When researchers analyzed images of tiny seahorses taken by scuba divers, they found evidence of photobombing worms in the hundreds, living alongside the seahorses in coral colonies from Japan to Australia.
Kevin Costner has left 'Yellowstone,' and some viewers are not happy about it. The actor, who played the patriarch John Dutton on the hit series, addressed some backlash over his character’s exit.
Netflix has announced that Beyonce will perform during halftime of an NFL Christmas Day matchup in her hometown of Houston.
Moviegoers were not exactly feeling the Christmas spirit this weekend, or at least what 'Red One' was offering. The big budget, star-driven action comedy with Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans sold US$34.1 million in tickets in its first weekend in theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday. It easily topped a box office populated mostly by holdovers.
Some supermarkets in Russia have taken to keeping butter in locked cabinets amid rising prices.
Spirit Airlines said Monday that it has filed for bankruptcy protection and will attempt to reboot as it struggles to recover from the pandemic-caused swoon in travel and a failed attempt to sell the airline to JetBlue.
In June of this year, a new company called Nations Royalty Corp. began trading on the TSX Venture Exchange.
Hundreds of organic baby- and toddler-sized rompers sold by an Ontario-based sustainable clothing company have been recalled over concerns they could catch fire and injure children, according to Health Canada.
A piece of national park history surfaced at Point Pelee National Park this week – a pair of parks badges from 1939 and 1940.
The four women sipping tea around an antique wooden table in rural Newfoundland said they weren't looking for much in a mate: kindness, humour, a good sense of fun and, ideally, a full set of teeth.
Nick Demski sat slumped in his locker, staring off into space.
Nick Arbuckle threw two touchdown passes to lead the Toronto Argonauts to a 41-24 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Grey Cup on Sunday. Toronto captured its 19th Grey Cup, the most in CFL history.
Netflix has announced that Beyonce will perform during halftime of an NFL Christmas Day matchup in her hometown of Houston.
In part two of a three-part series into how thieves are able to drive off with modern vehicles so easily, CTV W5 correspondent Jon Woodward uses a device flagged by police to easily clone a car key.
When a Tesla crashed on Lakeshore Boulevard in Toronto last month, the first people on scene knew there were occupants inside but couldn't immediately get them out.
Almost four out of five Canadian drivers switch to winter tires when the weather calls for them, according to a new survey.
Stretching 3,000 kilometres from the tip of New Zealand to its southernmost point, with just a bicycle for transport and a tent to call home, bikepacking event Tour Aotearoa is not for the faint of heart.
When he first moved to his urban neighbourhood, Barry Devonald was surprised to be welcomed by a whole flock of new neighbours.
When George Arcioni began renovating his kitchen last summer, he didn’t expect to find a stack of letters hidden in the wall behind his oven.
A Nova Scotia couple fulfilled their wildest dreams Thursday night when they got engaged at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in Toronto.
Some Calgary residents caught what appeared to be a meteor streaking across the sky early on Wednesday morning.
Four years ago, Phill Hebb started up 'Phil’s Unique Birdhouses' and since then, they’ve made their way all across Canada and into the United States.
A New Brunswick fashion designer recently won the top prize at a national event for a dress she made using an unconventional material.
Dr. Ronald Weiss, who performed nearly 60,000 vasectomies on Ottawa men, establishing him as the "Wayne Gretzky" of the procedure, has died.
A congestion crisis, a traffic nightmare, or unrelenting gridlock -- whatever you call it, most agree that Toronto has a congestion problem. To alleviate some of the gridlock, the Ontario government has announced it plans to remove bike lanes from three major roadways.
At least one person has died after a rollover crash on Highway 99 in Surrey early Monday morning.
Premier David Eby will introduce his new cabinet in British Columbia today after last month's tight election win that gave his New Democrats a slim, one-seat majority.
Prince Harry will meet with children in Vancouver as part of his work with the Invictus Games to bring the event to schools everywhere.
Nine people were injured, including two critically, after a stolen vehicle collided with a TTC bus in North York early Monday morning, Toronto police say.
Durham Regional Police have identified a woman who they allege was fatally stabbed by her husband at their home in Oshawa over the weekend.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government could have acted faster on reining in immigration programs, after blaming 'bad actors' for gaming the system.
Calgarians are struggling with rising costs more than ever and their paycheques aren't keeping up, a new report says.
The dreamy weather that Calgarians were enjoying for the first portion of November came to a grinding halt Monday morning.
Mounties in B.C. are asking the public for help locating a father and his two children who have not been seen since Friday.
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An inquest begins today into the 2016 death of Abdiraham Abdi, who died after an altercation with Ottawa police officers in 2016. The inquest is scheduled for 21 days, and will hear from approximately 25 witnesses.
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Mactar Mbaye has made a career of flipping houses but his route to his dream job was a circuitous one, saying an ugly incident of racial profiling helped him find his voice and motivated him to be a positive role model.
Formula 1 will move the Canadian Grand Prix to a new slot in May from 2026 in an effort to cut down on travel and its environmental impact.
A man in his 20s is in police custody after a vehicle pursuit in Montreal.
Temperatures climbed to highs of 1 and 3 over the weekend, but that's probably the last time we'll see daytime highs above the freezing mark for a long while.
Mounties in B.C. are asking the public for help locating a father and his two children who have not been seen since Friday.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is echoing concerns about Mexico that were expressed earlier this week by Ontario's premier, saying she hopes Canada can get a "carve-out" from import tariffs that president-elect Donald Trump is promising.
Police in Halifax say the death of a Walmart employee who was found inside an oven in the store last month is not suspicious, but they are refusing to release any additional details.
The New Brunswick RCMP says the search is ongoing for a 40-year-old man who has been missing since May.
A 39-year-old man from Cornwall, P.E.I., who police previously reported to be a substitute teacher, has been charged with child pornography offences.
Nick Demski sat slumped in his locker, staring off into space.
A winter storm is heading to western Manitoba this week.
A trial is to begin today for two men accused of smuggling migrants across the Canada-U. S. border.
A winter storm watch has been upgraded to a warning for parts of northeastern Saskatchewan, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) says. With as much as 30 centimetres of snow possible in some areas.
Regina's Albert Street was awash in holiday cheer Sunday afternoon as the city celebrated its annual Santa Claus Parade. Hundreds of spectators lined up to get a look at the floats, performances, and of course, Kris Kringle himself.
Spirit Airlines said Monday that it has filed for bankruptcy protection and will attempt to reboot as it struggles to recover from the pandemic-caused swoon in travel and a failed attempt to sell the airline to JetBlue.
The Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) launched their Festive RIDE program on Friday, which continued through the weekend.
Nine people were injured, including two critically, after a stolen vehicle collided with a TTC bus in North York early Monday morning, Toronto police say.
A Guelph woman has been arrested after police said a knife was pulled out during a fight in downtown Guelph.
A winter storm watch has been upgraded to a warning for parts of northeastern Saskatchewan, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) says. With as much as 30 centimetres of snow possible in some areas.
Police in Prince Albert are asking people who live near the Max Clunie Field to check their home surveillance cameras after a shooting in the area on Sunday.
It was a month before Christmas, and ten thousand gathered round, as Santa and his parade made their way to Midtown.
Some Sudbury parents are scrambling to find transportation for their children after eight school buses were cancelled Monday morning due to vandalism.
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A neighbour dispute escalated to threats to shoot dogs, leading to police being called to a residence in Goulais River, Ont.
A fog advisory is in effect for most of the London region Monday morning. According to Environment Canada, near zero visibility is expected or occurring.
Police say that at roughly 1:00 a.m. Sunday morning, they were called to an address on Dogwood Drive in Tillsonburg for report of an assault.
Spirit Airlines said Monday that it has filed for bankruptcy protection and will attempt to reboot as it struggles to recover from the pandemic-caused swoon in travel and a failed attempt to sell the airline to JetBlue.
This year, Collingwood’s Christmas tree debuted Saturday with what some described as an underwhelming display, prompting both criticism and sympathy for the organizers.
Provincial police are investigating a collision in Bracebridge that claimed the life of one person over the weekend.
Provincial police and emergency services responded to a collision involving a pedestrian along Highway 400 in Barrie over the weekend.
One person was sent to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries following an incident in Belle River on Saturday.
OPP have confirmed that two people were pronounced dead at the scene of a single vessel collision, which took place at 5:55 p.m. Saturday evening.
Spirit Airlines said Monday that it has filed for bankruptcy protection and will attempt to reboot as it struggles to recover from the pandemic-caused swoon in travel and a failed attempt to sell the airline to JetBlue.
Premier David Eby will introduce his new cabinet in British Columbia today after last month's tight election win that gave his New Democrats a slim, one-seat majority.
Stretching 3,000 kilometres from the tip of New Zealand to its southernmost point, with just a bicycle for transport and a tent to call home, bikepacking event Tour Aotearoa is not for the faint of heart.
Strategies for mitigating the negative mental health effects of social media tend to focus on reducing time spent scrolling, according to a B.C. researcher, who says there may be a way to limit the harm without logging off.
Police are appealing for information on a targeted shooting that resulted in the hospitalization of a man in Kamloops.
British Columbia's independent police watchdog has cleared officers of wrongdoing in a crash where three people were killed south of Kamloops in July of last year.
A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail.
Protesters against the proposed Grassy Mountain coal mining project demonstrated in downtown Calgary Friday.
Early Friday morning, the union representing Canada Post workers officially went on strike. The strike will have a wide-reaching impact on many Canadians, and it comes at a difficult time for charities.
A back-and-forth question between Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi when it comes to calling a Lethbridge-West byelection has no distinct answer nearly five months later.
A Sault Ste. Marie program that gives people on social housing the opportunity to purchase a newly renovated home has just changed the lives of another local family.
About 700 Canada Post workers are walking the picket lines in communities across northeastern Ontario.
After receiving reports of a dangerous and erratic driver, police in Sault Ste. Marie charged the driver of a vehicle on Highway 17 this week.
The four women sipping tea around an antique wooden table in rural Newfoundland said they weren't looking for much in a mate: kindness, humour, a good sense of fun and, ideally, a full set of teeth.
Newfoundland and Labrador's return on investment for sponsoring a professional English soccer team was not quite as rosy as previously claimed.
Police in Newfoundland say a man was electrocuted Saturday by a downed power wire about 10 kilometres north of St. John's, N.L.
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