NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WKBW) — This week marks two years since a well-known Grand Island couple died in a crash at the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls.
It was the day before Thanksgiving in 2023 when Monica and Kurt Villani crashed into a barrier at the international border, causing an explosion that made international news. The crash shut down all four border crossings in the region for hours.
Now the Villani family is suing the makers of the car the couple was driving. A new wrongful death lawsuit claims the couple's Bentley malfunctioned, causing Kurt Villani to lose control of the car.
In the 33-page lawsuit, lawyers argue the 2022 Flying Spur Bentley suddenly accelerated as it approached the Rainbow Bridge inspection plaza. Attorneys argue that the crash wasn't an accident, but instead negligence. Court documents show lawyers claim the car's electronic throttle control system failed. They allege the car either lacked a working brake override system or that it also failed, leaving the couple unable to stop.
WATCH: Family of couple killed in Rainbow Bridge crash files wrongful death lawsuit
The lawsuit also points to a pattern of recalls, claiming Bentley recalled the same cars from 2018 to 2021 in Europe and Australia but never issued a similar recall in the United States.
Niagara Falls Police say there's nothing new to add to their original crash investigation. Cincinnati Insurance, which handled the claim, says they have no new information to share about what caused the crash.
The civil case names Bentley Motors, its parent company Volkswagen and several dealerships as defendants. None of the allegations have been proven in court, and Bentley hasn't responded to requests for comment.
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