Passengers who died in crash with Dallas Cowboys bus were from China, authorities say

The four people who died when a van failed to yield a right of way, turned in front of and collided with a Dallas Cowboys tour bus in northwest Arizona on Sunday afternoon were from China, the Department of Public Safety said Tuesday.

The department said the dead included a 52-year old man who was driving a van and three passengers, two 52-year-old women and a 19-year-old woman. The department didn’t disclose the passengers’ names or where they were coming from.

The department said the van had been southbound on U.S. Highway 93 at about 1:30 p.m. and was trying to turn west to access Pierce Ferry Road when it collided with the oncoming bus, which had been traveling northbound.

“The van … failed to yield the right of way from a stop sign and was struck by the motor coach,” Department of Public Safety spokesman Quentin Mehr said Tuesday.

The football team has said the bus was taking staff members to a promotional stop in Las Vegas and that no players were aboard. Nobody aboard the bus required medical attention, the department said.

The department hasn’t said whether the victims were taking Pierce Ferry Road to visit the Skywalk at Grand Canyon West.

“Any loss of life while traveling on the road is heartbreaking and tragic,” Lt. Col. Dan Lugo, assistant director of the Highway Patrol Division, said. “When driving on our highways and byways drivers need to always be cautious and aware of road and traffic condition around them.”

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones expressed remorse in a statement released Monday.

“We as an organization are deeply saddened, and our thoughts, prayers and concerns at this time are with the family members and loved ones of all who were lost,” Jones said.