Seven dead, eight injured in tour van crash near Yellowstone National Park

UPDATED: May 3, 2025 01:22 IST

Seven individuals were killed and eight others injured when a pickup truck and a passenger van collided in a horrific accident near Henry's Lake State Park in eastern Idaho. The accident occurred around 7:15 p.m. on Thursday night, according to a press release from the Idaho State Police. The crash site is located approximately 16 miles west of Yellowstone Park.

Authorities stated that both vehicles, a Dodge Ram pickup truck and a Mercedes tour van, were engulfed in flames following the collision. The driver of the pickup and six passengers from the van were pronounced dead at the site. The tour van had 14 passengers on board at the time.

Emergency responders, including air ambulances and ground units, quickly arrived and transported the eight injured survivors to local hospitals. No updates have been provided on the condition of the injured.

According to the Associated Press, the cause of the crash remains, and the investigators are working to reconstruct the events leading to the crash. The Fremont County coroner's office has not yet released the names of the victims as officials are still making efforts to inform next of kin. Details such as their ages, hometowns, and nationalities also remain undisclosed.

Roger Merrill, a local resident who stopped at the scene while driving home, witnessed the burning wreckage. He remembered bystanders attempting to rescue the survivors from the van by the roadside.

Merrill, who recorded video of the aftermath, described the road to Yellowstone as “very dangerous” due to the high volume of tourist traffic. “It took an unnervingly long time for help to arrive just because of the location,” he said.

The Idaho State Police have encouraged anyone with more information or footage of the shooting to come forward.

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