A pickup truck that collided with a tour van near Yellowstone National Park last week, killing seven people, crossed the highway's center line and hit the van, according to Idaho State Police.
Investigating troopers have determined that the Dodge Ram pickup crossed the line on U.S. Highway 20 and struck the Mercedes passenger van, Police said in a Tuesday statement. Police are still investigating what caused the driver to veer into oncoming traffic.
There was a group of twelve Chinese tourists and an Italian tourist on board the van, in addition to the driver. Five of the Chinese tourists, the Italian tourist and the pickup driver died in the crash, according to police, the Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco and the Italian Consulate General in San Francisco.
Police previously identified the pickup driver as Isaih Moreno, 25, of Humble, Texas.
The crash happened Thursday evening near Henry’s Lake State Park in eastern Idaho. The state park is roughly 16 miles (26 kilometers) west of Yellowstone National Park.
The truck was traveling west while the van was traveling east toward Yellowstone when it happened. Video from the scene showed clear weather conditions at the time.
Both vehicles caught fire after colliding, police said. DNA tests results will be needed to identify the other people who died, according to police. The eight other people in the van were injured, police said.
Because a commercial vehicle was involved and because of the magnitude of the crash, the National Transportation Safety Board is also conducting an independent investigation, police said. NTSB personnel have visited the scene and are reviewing evidence, according to police.
According to the most recent data from the International Trade Administration, 36% of international visitors who arrived to the U.S. by air listed visits to national parks and national monuments as their top leisure activity while in the country.
