Six people are dead and 10 others were injured following a tragic accident on U.S. Highway 20 near Idaho Falls, Idaho. The collision occurred early Saturday morning, May 18, 2024 when a pickup truck traveling eastbound veered left of center, colliding head-on with a westbound passenger van.
Idaho State Police reported that the van’s driver and five passengers were pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the pickup truck, along with nine other van passengers, was transported to a local hospital with injuries.
Authorities were alerted to the collision near the Lindsay Boulevard exit at 5:29 a.m. The devastating scene showed the van flipped on its side, its back doors busted open, and its front severely damaged. The pickup truck, a Ram, rested a few feet away, its windshield shattered and hood crushed. Debris was scattered across the road.
Emergency services, including the Idaho Falls Police Department, Idaho Transportation Department, and Idaho Falls Fire Department, responded promptly to the crash. Both highway lanes were blocked for approximately five and a half hours, with the westbound lane remaining closed for an additional hour as crews worked to clear the scene and continue the investigation.
The six victims, all from Mexico, have been identified by the Bonneville County coroner as Abel Mejía Martínez, 43, Pedro Manuel Alcantar Mejía, 26, Brandon Ponce Gallegos, 24, Jose Guadalupe Sánchez Medina, 20, Luis Enrique Sereno Perez, 32, and Javier Gomez Alcantar, 36. Idaho State Police continue investigating the incident, seeking to understand the cause of the truck veering off course.
Officials are urging drivers to exercise caution, especially during this time of year. The period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is often called the “100 deadliest days” on American roads due to the increased number of accidents during the summer travel season.
The road to healing will be long for the affected families and the entire Idaho Falls community. The hope is that increased awareness and preventive measures will help reduce the number of such accidents in the future.