A devastating crash on U.S. Highway 20 near Henry’s Lake State Park in eastern Idaho has claimed the lives of seven people and injured eight others. The collision occurred just before 7:15 p.m. on Thursday between a Dodge Ram pickup truck and a Mercedes van carrying a tour group of 14 people heading towards Yellowstone National Park.
The Idaho State Police reported that both vehicles were traveling in opposite directions on the highway when the crash happened. The pickup truck was westbound, while the tour van was eastbound towards Yellowstone. Video footage from the scene showed clear weather conditions at the time of the accident.
Both vehicles caught fire following the collision. The driver of the pickup truck, identified as 25-year-old Isaih Moreno from Humble, Texas, and six occupants of the Mercedes van died in the crash. The bodies of the six individuals from the van were unrecognizable, and their identification is pending DNA test results, according to Fremont County coroner Brenda Dye.
Two of the deceased were confirmed to be from Italy, while the nationalities of the others were not immediately known. The surviving occupants of the van, totaling eight people, were taken to various hospitals with injuries. Two were flown to a hospital in Idaho Falls, and one was flown to a hospital in Bozeman, Montana. The conditions of the injured were not disclosed.
The crash remains under investigation by the Idaho State Police. Witnesses described the scene as chaotic, with bystanders attempting to assist survivors as the vehicles burned. Roger Merrill, a driver who witnessed the crash, expressed concern about the safety of the highway, stating that it is “extremely busy” due to its proximity to Yellowstone National Park’s main entrance.
Idaho Governor Brad Little expressed condolences and stated that the state is working with local officials to determine the cause of the tragedy. The Idaho Transportation Department had previously identified the highway as a candidate for safety improvements, but the project is still in the planning phase. The highway sees an average daily traffic volume of about 10,500 vehicles.
