Coroner identifies six men killed in US-20 crash
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IDAHO FALLS – The names of the six people who died in a major crash Saturday morning have been released.
According to Bonneville County Coroner Rick Taylor, the victims include 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.
All were from Mexico, but it is not clear from what area. Nine other passengers were in the van that crashed. All of them were taken to area hospitals, and their conditions are unknown.
EastIdahoNews.com has requested more information from Idaho State Police regarding the circumstances of the crash, and its occupants.
Background
The fatal crash occurred in the early morning hours on US Highway 20 close to the Lindsay Boulevard exit in Idaho Falls.
A Dodge Ram pickup was traveling east when “it was driven left of center and collided with a westbound Chevrolet passenger van,” according to a news release from the Idaho State Police.
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The van was full with 14 passengers plus the driver at the time of the collision.
“The driver of the van, along with five other passengers in the van, succumbed to their injuries at the scene of the crash,” the release stated. “Nine other passengers of the van were injured and transported to a local hospital via ground ambulances.”
The pickup’s driver was also transported to a hospital for treatment.
Both lanes were closed for five and a half hours, and the westbound lane remained blocked for another hour as Idaho State Police, Idaho Falls Police Department, Idaho Falls Fire Department and Idaho Transportation Department responded to the scene.
This crash is still being investigated by the Idaho State Police, the release said.