Six tourists killed in fiery crash near Yellowstone National Park

BOISE, Idaho — Idaho police have released the names of six tourists who were killed in a fiery crash near Yellowstone National Park on May 1.

The deceased include Jianping Li, 71, and Xiaoming Jiang, 66, both from Guangxi and Guilin, China, respectively. Ivana Wen, 28, from Milan, Italy, also died in the accident. Two additional victims, Li Nie, 64, and Aifeng Wan, 53, were California residents from Arcadia. The van’s driver, Yu Zhang, 30, from Eastvale, California, was also among the fatalities.

Initially, police had reported Jian Shi, 56, from Shanghai, as one of the deceased, but later corrected that statement, indicating he survived the crash. A total of 14 people were in the van at the time of the incident, with 12 passengers of Chinese nationality and one from Italy. Survivors were rushed to local hospitals for treatment.

The crash also claimed the life of the pickup truck driver, Isaih Moreno, 35, from Humble, Texas. Investigators found that Moreno’s Dodge Ram crossed the center line, resulting in a collision with Zhang’s Mercedes van. Authorities are still determining the cause of the truck crossing the line.

The accident occurred on a highway south of West Yellowstone, Montana, which provides access between Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons during springtime.

Yellowstone National Park, one of the largest parks in the U.S., attracts millions of visitors annually. The park features the famous geyser Old Faithful and boasts diverse wildlife, including wolves and bison. It is primarily in Wyoming but also extends into parts of Montana and Idaho. In 2016, 17% of visitors were from other countries, with 34% from China and 11% from Italy.