Crash near Yellowstone National Park Claims Lives of 7 Tourists
Catastrophic collision involving a tour van close to Yellowstone National Park results in seven fatalities, authorities confirm.
Raw imagery depicts the scene post-collision between a tour van and a pickup truck along U.S. Highway 20, near Henry's Lake State Park in eastern Idaho[4].
Tragedy struck as seven individuals lost their lives in a collision involving a tour van and a pickup truck near Yellowstone National Park, according to Idaho State Police[1][2][3].
Thursday evening witnessed the catastrophic event on U.S. Highway 20, situated about 16 miles west of Yellowstone in Wyoming, close to Henry's Lake State Park in eastern Idaho.
At roughly 7:15 p.m., Idaho State Police troopers arrived at the crash site, discovering a horrifying spectacle: the collision involved a Dodge Ram pickup and a Mercedes passenger van. Among the van's 14 occupants, and the driver of the pickup, 7 souls met their end due to the crash[1].
Idaho State Police stated, "The van was functioning as a tour vehicle. Given the severity of this incident, and the ongoing process of notifying the victims' families, no personal details such as names, ages, hometowns, or nationalities have been disclosed. Once available, the Fremont County Coroner's Office will release pertinent information[1]."
The picturesque scene of rescue workers arriving at the crash site underlines the gravity of the situation.
Alas, the cause of the crash remains a mystery, with the Idaho State Police continuing their investigation Friday[3].
Onlooker Roger Merrill, 60, recounted his encounter: as he hit the road, he observed the vehicles ablaze as bystanders tended to survivors from the van on the side of the highway[4]. Tourist vans are often sighted on this highway leading to Yellowstone National Park.
Given the remote location, Merrill anxiously waited for first responders, an unnervingly long period passing before they arrived[4].
U.S. Highway 20 was closed for almost seven hours while emergency services and the Transportation Department managed the incident and cleared the roadway. Thankfully, the road has since reopened for regular traffic[1].
Note: Associated Press contributed to this report.
This disturbing news was reported by Greg Norman, a reporter for our website Digital.
Insight
- Yellowstone National Park is a famous tourist destination, especially during summer months. More than 4 million people visited the park in 2020[5]. Tourism generated about $452 million in economic output in Wyoming in 2018[6].
- Collisions involving tour buses can result in significant casualties due to the large number of passengers involved. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, in 2018 there were 32 fatalities in 124 large-bus crashes in the United States[2].
- The COVID-19 pandemic impacted tourism in Yellowstone National Park in 2020, with park visitor counts dropping 34% compared to 2019[5]. However, the park is expected to bounce back as more people get vaccinated and restrictions lift.
- Collisions involving tour buses are often complex to investigate due to various factors, such as mechanical issues, driver error, road conditions, and other contributing factors. A thorough investigation is essential to ensure safety and prevention in the future[2].
- The collision occurred near Yellowstone National Park on U.S. Highway 20, approximately 16 miles west of the park in Wyoming.
- The Idaho State Police significantly delayed disclosing the identities of the accident's victims due to the ongoing process of notifying their families.
- As a result of the car-accident near Yellowstone National Park, general news outlets have been reporting extensively on the incident and its aftermath.
- The cause of the accident involving a Dodge Ram pickup and a Mercedes passenger van near Yellowstone National Park remains under investigation by the Idaho State Police.
