The FBI and Rochester police are investigating a car crash that occurred at about 12:50 a.m. in Rochester, New York New Year’s Eve, after one of the vehicles involved was found to have at least a dozen cans of gasoline inside it, causing a major fire.
The investigation is being led by the Joint Terrorism Task Force, although authorities do not yet know whether this was in fact terrorism. The location of the crash, near the city’s Kodak Center, which was hosting a concert, has added to the speculation that it may have been connected to a terrorist effort.
FAILED New Year’s Eve TERRORIST ATTACK in Rochester, NY.A look at the scene of a head-on collision on West Ridge Rd. – Just outside the Kodak Performing Arts Center. [@Kodak_Center] 16 gas containers set aside as part of the investigation. pic.twitter.com/0YdY4HEKZR
— Marky Hutt (@MarkyHutt3) January 1, 2024
The driver is from Syracuse, ABC News reported, and drove his own car to the Syracuse Airport, where he rented the SUV that was involved in the incident. He suffered life-threatening injuries during the crash, according to USA Today.
Two passengers in the car that he struck, a Mitsubishi Outlander, were pronounced dead at the scene.
The fire caused by the crash took almost an hour to control, according to USA Today. Following the crash, the cars struck several pedestrians, one of whom was in critical condition Monday morning.
Viewer discretion is advised: Here’s dash camera video of the beginning of the scene. You can see a person getting out of a vehicle in flames before falling to the ground on West Ridge Road. pic.twitter.com/aHJpvEvx6q
— Geoffery Rogers (@GeofferyRogers) January 1, 2024
Geoffery Rogers, a local journalist, said on the social network X that witnesses to the crash said that the car was speeding before it ran over pedestrians and crashed, telling him “it seemed like a terrorist attack.”
Comments are closed.