Friends mourn 'generous and kind' couple killed in Canadian border car crash when their $300,000 Bentley supercar exploded into a giant fireball as it flew through the air sparking terror fears

Friends of the New York couple who were killed when their $300,000 Bentley became a giant fireball during an horrific crash on Thanksgiving eve are being mourned by friends as 'generous, kind and always willing to help.'

The unnamed couple died instantly after their car was sent hurtling 40 feet through the air after hitting a median at high speed before disintegrating upon impact. The crash led to rumors of terrorist involvement, which has been ruled out by New York Governor Kathy Hochul.

Meanwhile the couple's friends, who were gathered for an event at the Niagara Sailing Club on Thanksgiving, mourned the pair. 'People were just incredibly shocked. It's just not only a younger couple like that, but so ingrained and influential in this community,' club treasurer Scott Henderson told WGRZ. 

A neighbor told the station that he returned home from work on Wednesday and saw cars parked outside of the victim's home, he assumed that they were having a holiday party. 

'I thought, 'Oh, they're having Christmas or Thanksgiving early, and like, that's really nice.' And then about an hour later, heard the news and I'm like, oh my God,' Chuck Meyer said. 

'It's really shock and devastation and it's just gut wrenching really, really. They were so loved. They were so generous and kind and always willing to help.' his wife, Mary, added. 

'You know, just plowing everybody's driveway for the love of it, you know what I mean? Just always willing to help and lend a hand. Always. always, always. They were just so very, kind wonderful people,' she went on. 

Chuck said that the couple regularly gave to groups such as the Boys and Girls Clubs of Niagara Falls and in Northtowns in Western New York. 

Scott Henderson of the Niagara Falls Sailing Club said that the victims' family had been hugely generous in helping to rebuild its building following a fire in 2021. 

'Without those folks we would have never, never been able to this extent rebuild this beautiful club,' he said. 

In 2014, the family's business was profiled by local media thanks to their charitable efforts around Thanksgiving which saw them donate 250 turkeys to a local food bank.  

The investigation into the crash has been turned over to the Niagara Falls Police Department by the FBI because there is no terror aspect. 

NFPD Superintendent John Faso told WIVB in an interview that the investigation will be 'long.'

'This is going to be a long investigation just due to the complexity of the scene and everything surrounding it. It was a large scene, there was a lot of destruction and a lot to go through. So, that's the challenge right now for the crash management unit.'

'They're going to take their time and make sure they do everything right and cover every base. So, I'm not going to pressure them to hurry on anything — as long as it takes, it's going to take.'

Late on Thursday night, Gov. Hochul announced that the bridge was reopen to traffic. 

The crash prompted the closure of the Rainbow Bridge and three other bridges connecting western New York and Ontario, as federal officials swarmed the area, trying to figure out what led to the high-speed wreck. 

Both U.S. President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau received briefings.

Hours later, officials sought to calm concerns on what is one the busiest travel days of the year.

'Based on what we know at this moment,' Hochul, a Democrat, said at a news conference, 'there is no sign of terrorist activity in this crash.'

Hochul said the car was 'basically incinerated' with nothing left but the engine and a scattering of charred debris, describing a video of the crash as 'surreal.'

'You actually had to look at it and say, was this generated by AI?' she said at a news conference. 'Because it was so surreal to see. How high in the air this vehicle went, and then the crash, and the explosion, and the fire.'

Later Wednesday night, New York Sen. Chuck Schumer said investigators had found 'no connection to any terrorist or criminal group. He added that there was no evidence of chemicals or substances used in explosives during investigators' swabbing of the scene.

About 6,000 vehicles cross the Rainbow Bridge each day, according to the U.S. Federal Highway Administration's National Bridge Inventory. The short, steel bridge offers scenic views of the falls.

Witness Mike Guenther told Buffalo television station WGRZ-TV that he was walking near the bridge with his wife when the car, traveling at high speed, struck a fence at the crossing and was catapulted into the air before exploding.

'He was flying, over 100 miles an hour,' said Guenther, who was visiting from Kitchener, Ontario. He said the vehicle, which he described as a luxury sedan, was 'fish-tailing' out of control before it crashed.

'It was a ball of fire, 30 or 40 feet high, never seen anything like it,' said Guenther.

Another witness told local news outlet WKBW that the scene of the crash looked more like a movie scene.

Rickie Wilson told the station that he thought the white luxury sedan was a plan as he watched it rotate in mid-air before returning to the earth, hitting something before it landed.

While Guenther described seeing 'car parts everywhere in pieces' after the horror smash. 'He was swerving as he was going down this road here, fishtailing because he was going so fast,' he said.

'When he hit the fence there was a fire then, but then when he went up again he must have hit the building and there was a big noise and he just shot up in the air and you couldn't see nothing but smoke.

'We heard a big bang. I said there is no way that guy is going to stop, he is just going too fast.

'All of a sudden he went up in the air and then it was a ball of fire like 30-40 feet high, I have never seen anything like it. It was really incredible.'

Guenther said fire trucks were first on the scene and within 10 minutes there were 'police everywhere'.

'We could see the fireball - that's all we could see, it was just smoke everywhere,' he added. 'I don't think that person is going to survive, their car parts were everywhere.'

He described the car as 'flying' at over 100mph. 'We could hardly even see it was going that quick,' he said.

'There was car in front he swerved around it then it looked like he hit the fence and this fire started.'