Tragic Tour Bus Collision Near Yellowstone Claims Seven Lives

In a tragic turn of events, a tour bus collided with a pickup truck in eastern Idaho, leading to seven deaths and eight others injured, as investigations continue into the cause of the crash.

Seven people lost their lives in a catastrophic collision between a tour bus and a pickup truck close to Yellowstone National Park on Thursday. The incident injured eight others when a Chevy truck and a van carrying 14 tourists crashed on a busy highway, raising serious concerns as the area gears up for its peak tourist season.

Emergency services dispatched an air ambulance to transport several victims to the hospital, as many suffered from severe injuries. According to the Idaho State Police, six occupants of the van and the pickup truck driver perished in the blaze that erupted following the crash.

As investigators work to understand the circumstances surrounding the accident, the identities and nationalities of the victims remain undisclosed. Eyewitness Roger Merrill described the horrifying scene he witnessed, with flames engulfing both vehicles while bystanders rushed to aid the survivors on the side of the road. He emphasized the perilous nature of the highway, which he mentioned is often crowded due to its proximity to the main entrance of Yellowstone.

The road experienced a seven-hour closure, allowing emergency responders to attend to the victims and clear the wreckage, located roughly 16 miles from the park's entrance. Following the completion of notifications to family members, the local coroner’s office is expected to release the names of the deceased.

Yellowstone National Park, recognized as the oldest national park in the United States, features an expansive area of nearly 3,500 square miles across Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. It attracts around four million visitors annually, with the height of tourism occurring from May to September, as reported by the National Park Service.