Yu Zhang dies in fatal Fremont County car crash

Yu Zhang dies in fatal Fremont County car crash

Fatal Fremont County car crash death of Yu Zhang – Obituary

Yu Zhang, a 30-year-old resident of Eastvale, California, was among the seven people killed when a tour van collided head-on with a pickup truck in Fremont County, Idaho, on May 1. Zhang was driving a Mercedes passenger van for Ctour Holiday LLC, transporting international tourists along U.S. Highway 20 near Yellowstone National Park, when a westbound Dodge Ram crossed the center line and struck the van at about 7:15 p.m.

The violent impact set the van ablaze, claiming six lives inside, including passengers Ivana Wen, 28, of Milan, Italy; Jianping Li, 71, of Guangxi, China; Li Nie, 64, and Aifeng Wan, 53, both of Arcadia, California; and Xiaoming Jiang, 66, of Guilin, China. The pickup’s driver, Isaih Moreno, 25, of Humble, Texas, was also fatally injured, bringing the total death toll to seven.

Investigators have not yet determined why the pickup veered into oncoming traffic. Idaho State Police Captain Chris Weadick described the probe as particularly challenging because of the high casualty count and involvement of foreign nationals. Three other van occupants were flown to regional trauma centers in Bozeman, Montana, and Idaho Falls, while additional survivors were taken by ground ambulance with non-life-threatening injuries.

Fremont County Coroner Brenda Dye commended the coordinated efforts with Ada County and state forensic specialists that enabled the accurate identification of each victim for their families. First responders and passing motorists pulled injured passengers from the burning wreckage, an effort authorities say prevented even greater loss of life.

U.S. Highway 20 remained closed for roughly seven hours as crews extinguished the fire, reconstructed the crash scene, and cleared debris. Crash reconstruction data and laboratory tests are still pending, and the investigation remains active.