Seven people are dead following a collision between a tour van and a pickup truck near Yellowstone National Park, according to Idaho State Police (ISP).
Authorities said the two-vehicle crash happened on Thursday at around 7:15 p.m. ISP troopers responded to the incident on eastbound U.S. Highway 20 at milepost 399 near Henry’s Lake State Park in eastern Idaho. The state park is located nearly 16 miles west of Yellowstone National Park.
There were 14 people in a Mercedes passenger van and one occupant, the driver, in a Dodge Ram pickup truck. Both vehicles caught fire after the crash.
Six occupants of the van were killed. The driver of the pickup truck also died as a result of the crash, according to police.
The van was transporting a tour group.
The Fremont County Coroner’s Office will publicly release the names of the victims after their families have been notified. The coroner will also determine the cause and manner of each death.
Due to the severity of the injuries, one air ambulance and additional air and ground resources were dispatched to the scene. Surviving occupants in the van were transported to hospitals with injuries, police spokesman Aaron Snell said.
Roger Merrill, 60, was driving home when he saw the fiery crash and saw bystanders helping survivors from the van on the side of the highway. Merrill said he often sees tourist vans driving on the highway that leads to Yellowstone National Park.
“It is a very dangerous highway because it leads to the main entrance of Yellowstone National Park,” Merrill said. “It’s extremely busy.”
The witness also said “it took an unnervingly long time” for emergency crews to arrive because of the remote location.
The highway was fully closed in both directions for nearly seven hours. Emergency responders and the Idaho Transportation Department worked to manage the scene and clear the roadway. Highway 20 is now open for regular traffic.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
