A tragic collision between a pickup truck and a tour van occurred on U.S. Highway 20 near Henry’s Lake State Park in eastern Idaho on Thursday evening, resulting in seven deaths and eight injuries. The crash happened just before 7:15 p.m. local time, approximately 16 miles west of Yellowstone National Park.
The Idaho State Police reported that the Dodge Ram pickup truck was traveling westbound while the Mercedes tour van, carrying 14 people including international visitors, was heading east towards Yellowstone. Both vehicles caught fire upon impact. The driver of the pickup truck, identified as 25-year-old Isaih Moreno from Humble, Texas, was among the fatalities, along with six occupants of the van.
Fremont County coroner Brenda Dye revealed that the six victims in the van were foreign nationals, with two confirmed to be from Italy. The identification process for the remaining victims is ongoing, pending DNA test results, as their bodies were severely burned beyond recognition.
Eight survivors were hospitalized with injuries. Two were airlifted to a hospital in Idaho Falls, and one to a hospital in Bozeman, Montana. The conditions of the injured were not disclosed. The others were treated at local hospitals for non-life-threatening injuries.
Eyewitness Roger Merrill, who witnessed the crash while driving home, described the highway as “very dangerous” due to its high traffic volume leading to Yellowstone’s main entrance. He noted that it took an “unnervingly long time” for first responders to arrive due to the remote location. However, police later clarified that a Fremont County sheriff’s deputy arrived shortly after the crash and assisted injured passengers alongside bystanders.
Idaho Governor Brad Little expressed his commitment to investigating the cause of the tragedy. The Idaho Transportation Department had previously identified this highway section for potential safety improvements, but the project remains in the planning phase. The highway sees an average daily traffic volume of about 10,500 vehicles, according to 2023 data.
The incident has highlighted concerns about the safety of this major route to Yellowstone National Park, which set a new visitation record in 2024.
