Investigation into Deadly New Year's Crash in Upstate New York Suspects Terrorism

In the early hours of New Year's Day, a horrific scene unfolded outside the Kodak Center in Rochester, upstate New York, where a devastating collision involving several vehicles and pedestrians resulted in two fatalities and multiple injuries. This tragic event has taken a turn into a potential criminal investigation as authorities are now contemplating a terrorism angle, prompting intense scrutiny by local and federal law enforcement agencies.

The crash occurred around 12:50 a.m., as the city was winding down from New Year's Eve celebrations. A Ford Expedition, driven by an individual from Syracuse, clashed with a Mitsubishi Outlander, which was functioning as an Uber, while exiting a parking lot. According to Rochester's Police Chief David Smith, the force of the collision propelled the vehicles into pedestrians at a crosswalk before crashing into other cars. Consequently, two passengers in the Mitsubishi died, while others, including three pedestrians, were injured, with one sustaining life-threatening injuries.

A large fire ensued, which Rochester Fire Department battled for an hour before extinguishment. During the aftermath, first responders discovered a chilling clue: numerous gasoline canisters scattered in and around the Ford Expedition. This discovery has partly fueled the theory that the crash might have been premeditated, potentially with a terroristic intent.

The Joint Terrorism Task Force is now spearheading the inquiry into the cause and motive, with the FBI collaborating closely with local authorities. Investigators are currently dissecting social media, devices related to the driver of the Ford Expedition, and interviewing acquaintances, all to construct a narrative that could explain the unsettling presence of gasoline canisters at the scene.

Authorities are taking this angle seriously, given that the incident involved loss of life, extensive property damage, and the existence of potential accelerants that transformed an ordinary car crash into an inferno. The explicit law enforcement mandate in such circumstances is to treat the case as an act of terrorism until evidence proves otherwise. ABC News contributor and former FBI Buffalo office head Richard Frankel emphasized how this standard procedure is necessary when initial assessments cannot readily dismiss a terrorism hypothesis.

This incident occurred against a backdrop of heightened concern among U.S. law enforcement agencies, alert to how domestic politics and international conflicts might be agitating sentiments across the nation and potentially inspiring acts of violence.

Rochester Mayor Malik Evans and local police are calling on the public to aid the investigation by sharing information that could illuminate this unexpected tragedy that has marred the dawn of a new year.

The community and the victims' families await answers as authorities labor to untangle the circumstances that led to this frightful episode—answers that will either confirm their worst fears or perhaps provide an unexpected alternative account. The incident underscores the ever-present vigilance required in times where the motives behind catastrophic events can blur the lines between criminal acts and orchestrated terror.