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The FBI has launched an investigation after a car containing numerous gas canisters ploughed into another vehicle and a crowd outside a New Year’s Eve concert in upstate New York, killing two and wounding several more.

A suspect has been named by police as 35-year-old Michael Avery from Syracuse, who passed away Monday night, Rochester Police Chief David Smith confirmed in a news briefing on Tuesday.

The police said before the news of his passing that Avery was in hospital yesterday with life-threatening conditions.

The chief added that Avery was still in the process of being scientifically identified, but the authorities have been in contact with his family.

Concertgoers who had just rung in the New Year were pouring out onto the crosswalk outside the Kodak Center in Rochester at around 12.50am ET when a Ford Expedition SUV crashed into a Mitsubishi Outlander, Rochester Police said at a news briefing.

The Mitsubishi – believed to be an Uber – was exiting a parking lot when the Ford SUV collided with it, causing a fiery crash.

It appeared as if Avery had “sped up” and crossed into oncoming traffic, then “intentionally” drove into the pedestrian crossing, Chief Smith said.

Two people riding in the Mitsubishi were killed in the fiery crash, while the driver was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

At least nine pedestrians were injured as the vehicles hit the crossing, with at least one with “life-altering” injuries.

Chief Smith said that all others should make a full recovery.

The police chief added that numerous pedestrians, as well as a Rochester police officer, also came very close to being caught in the fatal collision.

Police officers had already been assigned to monitor the crowd of about 1,000 people who had seen in the New Year watching a rock band.

Two officers were assisting pedestrians at the crosswalk when the vehicles went “through” the people before crashing into two other vehicles, Chief Smith said.

The crash caused a huge blaze that took firefighters almost one hour to extinguish, Chief Smith said.

Once the fire was contained and put out, first responders at the scene found an unusual amount of gasoline canisters in and around the striking vehicle.

In total, police said there were at least half a dozen gasoline canisters found lying on the street and in the vehicle.

Chief Smith confirmed that Avery had bought these gasoline products from various stores in the Ontario area on 30 December.

It is believed he made these purchases alone and that no one else was involved.

Due to the “danger level” associated with the canisters, Chief Smith said the police department’s bomb squad and the joint arson task force responded to the scene.

Investigators are said to be searching through the devices and social media accounts of the driver of the Ford Expedition, as well as talking to friends and family to try to understand what happened, the police confirmed on Tuesday.

Avery had driven his personal vehicle to Rochester airport on 29 December, where he left it and switched to the rental SUV.

It was previously reported by outlets that a journal and a suicide note were found when police conducted a search of the suspect’s hotel room, yet Chief Smith confirmed on Tuesday that while there was a search, no such items were recovered.

The Chief and other authorities also confirmed that they have not found any evidence of motivations of political or social biases, and are not yet linking the incident to terrorism, despite previous news reports citing law enforcement sources suggesting so.

Chief Smith did mention, however, that after they interviewed his family, they learned Avery could have been suffering from possible undiagnosed mental health issues.

The Rochester Police Department and the FBI are working together to investigate why and how the collision happened and how the canisters were involved.

“As we continue to investigate and collaborate with our law enforcement partners, details are limited at this time,” the FBI wrote on X.

Footage captured by local news outlet WHAM showed the SUV completely burnt out, with all its windows missing, the trunk completely destroyed and the whole front of the vehicle in ruin.

Debris from the crash and red gas canisters were also seen littering the street outside the Kodak Centre, with the whole area cornered off by police for investigation.

Rochester Mayor Malik Evans offered his condolences to the devastated families and urged anyone with information about the incident to come forward to authorities.

“I would have been liking to stand at this podium to deliver ‘Happy New Year’ and smile and say good news, but unfortunately, today we don’t have [good] news,” Mr Evans said at the conference.

“We have several individuals whose family’s lives have changed because they will not be here to bring in 2024”

The band, moe., which was performing at the Kodak Center that night, said they were in “profound shock and sadness” after the incident.

“Our hearts go out to the family and friends of those who lost their lives, and our thoughts are with those who were injured,” they said in a statement.

The police department and the FBI are continuing to investigate the fatal crash.