Tour van crash near Yellowstone National Park leaves 7 dead, police say

Seven people have died after a tour van and pickup truck collided near Yellowstone National Park, according to Idaho State Police.

The fatal accident happened Thursday night on U.S. Highway 20 near Henry’s Lake State Park in eastern Idaho, located about 16 miles west of Yellowstone in Wyoming.

“At approximately 7:15 p.m., ISP troopers responded to the collision at milepost 399. The crash involved a Dodge Ram pickup and a Mercedes passenger van. There were 14 occupants in the van and one occupant, the driver, in the pickup. Tragically, six individuals in the van and the driver of the pickup died as a result of the crash,” Idaho State Police said.

“The van was operating as a tour vehicle. Due to the magnitude of the incident and the ongoing process of notifying the next of kin, no names, ages, hometowns, or nationalities have been released. Once available, the Fremont County Coroner’s Office will provide information,” it continued.

An entrance sign for Yellowstone National Park

An entrance sign along U.S. Highway 212 at the northeast entrance into Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.  (Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

The cause of the crash remains under investigation Friday.

Henry's Lake State Park in Idaho

The crash happened near Henry’s Lake State Park in eastern Idaho. (Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation)

“U.S. Highway 20 was fully closed for nearly seven hours while emergency responders and the Idaho Transportation Department worked to manage the scene and clear the roadway. The road is open for regular traffic,” Idaho State Police said.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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