A horrific head-on crash rocked a stretch of U.S. 20 along the western boundary of Yellowstone National Park. Tragically, seven people perished and eight more were injured. The crash, involving a pickup truck and a tour van carrying a group of 14 people, took place just before 7:15 PM on Thursday. The highway is one of the most vital routes in America as it leads to the only eastern entrance of Yellowstone National Park.
According to reports, the crash occurred about 16 miles (26 km) west of Yellowstone National Park, where both vehicles were engulfed in flames after the crash. Lives changed forever. Emergency responders transported surviving occupants to local hospitals to address their injuries. Idaho State Police provided additional confirmation of the incident. The Fremont County Coroner’s Office has not published the names of any victims as of Friday morning.
Roger Merrill, the 60-year-old witness who saw the tragedy unfold while driving home from work, told USAToday that he had been worried about the roadway’s safety. He pointed to the highway’s truck traffic, as more than 8 percent of the average daily traffic of close to 10,500 vehicles in 2023 are trucks.
The stretch of highway is especially dangerous because it carries traffic to the only year-round entrance to Yellowstone National Park, said Merrill. He recounted how “help took an unnervingly long time to arrive due solely to where we were.”
Here, police spokesman Aaron Snell shares more about the year-long investigation continuing to uncover exactly what lead up to the crash. Law enforcement are still working to understand all the details that led to this preventable tragedy. They are living up to the promise to make sure those impacted are getting the support they need.