Seven people killed in road crash near Yellowstone
All eight of the survivors from the van were taken to hospitals with varying degrees of injuries. PHOTO: HOMSKYRA/X
BOISE, Idaho - Seven people were killed, and eight others injured after a van carrying more than a dozen tourists collided with a pickup truck in a fiery highway crash near Yellowstone National Park, Idaho state police said on May 2.
The cause of the accident, which occurred about an hour and 15 minutes before sunset on May 1, remains under investigation, according to a state police news release.
The Mercedes passenger van was transporting a tour group with 14 people aboard near Henry's Lake when it collided with a Dodge Ram pickup, then burst into flames, police said.
Six people from the van as well as the pickup driver, its only occupant, were killed, according to police.
All eight of the survivors from the van were taken to hospitals with varying degrees of injuries, police spokesperson Aaron Snell said.
Information about the victims was being kept confidential pending notification of next of kin.
The New York Times cited Fremont County coroner Brenda Dye as saying that the pickup driver was from Texas and that all six occupants of the van who died were from outside the United States, two of them from Italy.
The accident occurred on US Highway 20 near Henry's Lake in eastern Idaho, about 20 miles west of Yellowstone.
Weather conditions appeared clear in news video from the scene.
Authorities provided no details about the circumstances of the accident.
According to Ms Dye, two eyewitnesses to the crash jumped out of their vehicle to pull victims from the van, and managed to extract eight people from the wreckage, including a child, before the van caught fire, the Times reported.
State police said the highway was closed in both directions for nearly seven hours while emergency and transportation crews worked to manage the scene and clear the roadway. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
9 minutes ago
- Straits Times
49 under probe for suspected money laundering involving crypto accounts, over $200k seized
The suspects allegedly opened and gave up their cryptocurrency accounts or Singpass credentials in exchange for cash. PHOTO: REUTERS SINGAPORE – The police are investigating 49 people for suspected money laundering activities involving the use of cryptocurrency accounts. The suspects – 35 men and 14 women – are aged between 18 and 58 , the police said on June 12 . They were nabbed during an islandwide operation carried out between May 13 and 30 by officers from the police's Anti-Scam Command , who worked alongside digital payments firm StraitsX . More than $200,000 was seized as a result. Early investigations showed that the suspects allegedly opened and gave up their cryptocurrency accounts or Singpass credentials in exchange for cash, which ranged from $400 to $3,000. Making use of messaging platforms such as Telegram or WhatsApp , unknown parties had made contact with the suspects, guiding them through the process. Part of the instructions they received included providing screenshots, personal details, as well as access to their cryptocurrency or Singpass accounts, which were then used to facilitate the laundering of scam proceeds. The police said the collaboration with StraitsX had 'enhanced capabilities to detect suspicious financial activities', which led to the suspects being identified. They also stressed that they take a strong stance against people who may be involved in money laundering activities, and will not hesitate to take action. In order to avoid being implicated in such crimes, the police advised people to always reject requests by others to make use of their bank or cryptocurrency accounts. Caution should also be exercised if 'seemingly attractive money-making opportunities promising fast and easy pay-outs for the use of their bank or cryptocurrency accounts' are presented. 'Anyone who allows their personal bank accounts or cryptocurrency accounts to be used to receive and transfer money or cryptocurrency for others will be held accountable if these transactions are linked to crimes,' said the police. Those convicted of assisting another person to retain the benefits from criminal conduct can be fined up to $50,000, jailed for up to three years, or both . Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Straits Times
39 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Australian accused of mushroom murders denies poisoning lunch as cross-examination ends
Erin Patterson denies the charges, which carry a life sentence, with her defence calling the deaths a 'terrible accident'. PHOTO: REUTERS SYDNEY - An Australian woman accused of murder denied on June 12 she deliberately included poisonous mushrooms in a lunch she served to three elderly relatives of her estranged husband, as the prosecution wrapped up five days of cross-examination. Erin Patterson is charged with the murders of her mother-in-law Gail Patterson, father-in-law Donald Patterson and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, along with the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson, Heather's husband, in July 2023. The prosecution accuses her of foraging for the death caps, before drying them and knowingly serving them in individual portions of beef wellington at her home in Leongatha, a town of about 6,000 people some 135km from Melbourne. Patterson denies the charges, which carry a life sentence, with her defence calling the deaths a 'terrible accident'. On June 12, prosecution barrister Nanette Rogers ended her cross-examination by accusing Patterson of deliberately sourcing the mushrooms for the lunch. 'I suggest you deliberately included them in the beef wellington you served (the guests)... you did so intending to kill them.' 'Disagree,' the accused replied. The lengthy cross-examination followed three days of questioning from the 50-year-old's own barrister Colin Mandy. Erin Patterson was the only witness called by her defence, and her decision to take the stand reignited interest in the trial, now in its seventh week. Media have descended on the town of Morwell where the trial is being held, about two hours east of Melbourne. State broadcaster ABC's daily podcast on the trial is currently Australia's most popular, while many domestic newspapers have run live blogs. The jury is next expected to hear closing arguments from the prosecution and defence, before presiding judge Justice Christopher Beale gives his instructions to the jury. The trial is expected to conclude later in June. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
Australian regulator cracks down on 'finfluencers' over unlawful financial advice
ASIC said it is concerned that consumers could be harmed by finfluencers providing unauthorised financial product advice. PHOTO ILLUSTRAION: UNSPLASH Australian regulator cracks down on 'finfluencers' over unlawful financial advice Australia's corporate regulator said on June 12 it had issued warnings to a number of social media 'finfluencers', accusing them of offering misleading financial advice and promoting high-risk investment products to their followers. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) warned that the accounts often provided deceptive information and flagged it had sent notices to 18 social media 'finfluencers' who were not licensed to provide financial advice. The action was taken as part of the Global Week of Action Against Unlawful Finfluencers held last week, which saw regulators from around the world using regulatory and enforcement powers against unlawful financial influencers. Measures against such illegal activity included arrests, warning notices, website takedowns, and alerts to consumers of the risks of unauthorised and misleading finfluencer content. ASIC said it is concerned that consumers could be harmed by finfluencers providing unauthorised financial product advice and promoting high-risk, complex investment products, such as contracts for difference (CFDs) and over the counter (OTC) derivative products. If a finfluencer is not licensed, an authorised representative or exempt, they are legally not permitted to carry on a business of providing investment business in Australia, the regulator said. ASIC along with market regulators from the UK, United Arab Emirates, Italy, Hong Kong and Canada took coordinated actions against such unauthorised finfluencers. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
