The Yellowstone tour van crash that killed seven people in Idaho was caused by a pickup truck that crossed the center line, police said Tuesday.
A Dodge Ram pickup traveling westbound on U.S. Route 20 entered the oncoming lanes and struck a Mercedes passenger van traveling eastbound toward Yellowstone National Park on May 1, Idaho State Police said in an update.
Investigators are still attempting to figure out why the pickup truck entered the opposite lane. The National Transportation Safety Board is also working on the scene, about 15 miles west of Yellowstone.
The van was carrying 12 Chinese tourists and one Italian tourist on their way into Yellowstone. The deceased victims have been identified only as five Chinese nationals, one Italian national and the pickup driver, 25-year-old Texas resident Isaiah Moreno.
Eight other people in the van, including the driver, suffered various injuries. Three were airlifted to regional hospitals, but all were expected to survive. Moreno was the only person in the pickup truck.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those lost in this tragedy,” Idaho State Police Sgt. Blake Higley said. “We are incredibly grateful to the passersby who stopped to help and to the first responders whose quick actions and teamwork aided those in critical need.”
