7 people are dead after a truck and tour van collided near Yellowstone, police say

The crash remains under investigation.

Roger Merrill, 60, was driving home when he saw flames engulfing the two vehicles as bystanders tried to care for survivors from the van on the side of the highway. Merrill said he often sees tourist vans on the highway.

“It is a very dangerous highway because it leads to the main entrance of Yellowstone National Park,” he said. “It’s extremely busy.”

Merrill captured video of the wreckage with smoke blanketing the van. Due to the remote location, Merrill said he anxiously awaited the help of first responders.

“It took an unnervingly long time for help to arrive just because of the location,” he said.

Police said Friday that a Fremont County sheriff’s deputy arrived shortly after the crash and, with the help of bystanders, immediately helped injured van occupants as it caught fire.

The state is working with local officials to get “answers on what led to this terrible tragedy,” Idaho Gov. Brad Little said in a social media post.

The Idaho Transportation Department had identified the highway for safety improvements aimed at reducing the severity of crashes, but the project was still in the research and planning phase. An average of about 10,500 vehicles traveled that portion of the highway daily in 2023, according to the agency.

___ Dupuy reported from New York City. Associated Press reporter Lisa Baumann contributed to this story from Bellingham, Washington.