7 dead after semi-truck slams into minivan in Ind.

BRISTOL, Ind.?? A tractor-trailer slammed into the back of a packed minivan in northern Indiana late Thursday, killing at least seven people and sending four other to hospitals, authorities said.

1. Only on msnbc.com

   1. Looking for a job? North Dakota needs you
   2. Cain: Foreign policy details aren't important
   3. 52 percent of kids under 8 use mobile devices
   4. Economy grows at fastest pace in a year
   5. Last act of Thai flood drama not yet written
   6. Getting your home ready for the big chill
   7. Ouch! Does this year's flu shot hurt more?

Indiana State Police reported that the minivan was carrying 10 people when it was hit along the Indiana Toll Road near Bristol, just south of the Michigan border. Police said witness accounts suggest that the minivan may have hit a deer, then slowed or stopped in the eastbound lanes before it was hit from behind by the tractor-trailer.

Seven of the minivan's occupants died at the scene and the other three were taken to hospitals, including two who were airlifted. The driver of the tractor-trailer was also hospitalized.

None of the victims' names has been released. The conditions of those who survived also haven't been released.

Both vehicles ended up in the center median, blocking traffic in both directions. No other vehicles were involved in the accident, which was reported shortly before 8 p.m. The crash shut down the roadway in both directions until after midnight.

Other details weren't immediately available, police said.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45071878/ns/us_news/

stevejobs stevejobs steve jobs commencement speech sarah palin espn body issue ijustine visionary