2 killed, 5 others injured in fiery New York crash; police investigating as domestic terrorism
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WISH) — Two people were killed and five others were injured following a fiery crash in upstate New York on New Year’s Day.
The names of the people who died haven’t been released yet.
According to an update from CNN early Tuesday, the crash was being investigated as domestic terrorism. The suspect, identified as Michael Avery from Syracuse, “allegedly left a suicide note and journal in his hotel room.”
According to the Rochester Police Department, the crash happened in Rochester just before 1 a.m. as close to 1,000 people left a New Year’s Eve concert.
Police say a Ford Expedition, driven by Avery, struck a Mitsubishi Outlander, sending both vehicles through a group of pedestrians that were in the crosswalk.
Two passengers in the Outlander were killed, and the driver suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to police. Avery was hospitalized with critical injuries. Three pedestrians who were struck were also taken to hospitals, one of them in critical condition.
The collision caused an explosion and a large blaze that took the fire department more than an hour to extinguish. Once the flames were doused, firefighters “located at least a dozen gasoline canisters in and around” the Expedition, the police statement said.
Rochester Police Chief David Smith later said in a press conference that this prompted police to bring in an arson team and alert the FBI.
During the press conference, Smith confirmed the Rochester Police Department bomb squad and the joint arson task force responded to the scene, based on the danger level associated with the incident.
“We know there are many questions related to this investigation. We ask for patience as we continue to seek the answers to those questions and determine exactly what led to this tragedy,” Smith said.
Rochester Mayor Malik Evans also spoke during the press conference offering his condolences to the families and individuals affected by the tragedy.
“I ask the community to pray, not only for those who have lost their lives but those that are injured, and pray for a speedy recovery for them as they go through the injuries that they sustained last night,” Evans said.
The full press conference on the incident can be viewed here.
CNN’s Sabrina Souza, Nouran Salahieh, and Brynn Gingras contributed to this report.
Mental health resources
- Be Well Indiana
- Indiana Suicide Prevention
- Indiana Department of Child Services’ Children’s Mental Health Initiative
- National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988 or 800-273-8255
- More resources