Law enforcement officials on Tuesday said no evidence had been found suggesting terrorist activity was involved in the planning or executing of a deadly car crash in Rochester, New York, early New Year's Day.
Two vehicles, one containing at least a dozen cans of gasoline, collided outside an entertainment venue Monday around 12:50 a.m. ET.
Three people were killed and four others were injured after a Ford Expedition struck a Mitsubishi Outlander that was exiting a parking lot near the Kodak Center.
The Ford's driver and two passengers in the Mitsubishi were killed. Three pedestrians, one with life-threatening injuries, were transported to a local hospital.
The Expedition's driver died Monday at 8 p.m. ET and was identified as Michael Avery of Syracuse, the New York Post first reported.
Rochester Police Chief David Smith on Tuesday said no indication of domestic or international terrorism had been found, but the investigation will continue.
"At this time, we've not been able to identify that there was anyone else involved in the crime or that it was part of a larger plot" Smith said, The Hill reported. "Additionally, we have not uncovered any information leading us to believe that the actions of Michael Avery on New Year’s Eve were motivated by any form of political or social biases."
FBI agent Jeremy Bell confirmed no links to terrorism have been uncovered.
"I can confirm our Joint Terrorism Task Force is involved, but that’s not abnormal in a case like this," Bell said. "What I can tell you is so far we’ve uncovered no evidence of an ideology and no nexus to terrorism, either international or domestic so far in the investigation."
The collision caused the two vehicles to "go through a group of pedestrians that were in the crosswalk, and then into two other vehicles," Smith said at a press briefing Monday, ABC News reported.
"There was a large fire associated with the crash that took the Rochester Fire Department almost one hour to extinguish."
First responders found at least a dozen gasoline canisters in and around the Expedition after the fire was extinguished, Smith said.
"Based on the danger level associated with these, the Rochester Police Department bomb squad and the joint arson task force responded to the scene," Smith said, CNN reported.
"We are continuing to work with our federal partners, including the FBI, to learn exactly what led to this crash."
Two passengers in the Mitsubishi, an Uber, were killed, and the driver was taken to a hospital in non-life threatening condition.
Rochester police on Tuesday confirmed the 35-year-old Avery's death in the hospital, WROC's Mikhaela Singleton posted on X.
ABC News reported the Ford's driver is from Syracuse and drove his own vehicle to the Syracuse airport, where he rented the extra-large SUV.
Investigators were looking through the devices and social media of the Ford's driver and were talking to friends and relatives, the outlet reported.
The FBI posted a message on X to say its Buffalo Field Office was assisting Rochester police in the investigation.
Thousands of people were leaving the Kodak Center after ringing in the new year when the fatal crash occurred.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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