Robert Petersen, 21, of Tremonton was in critical condition Tuesday at McKay-Dee Hospital. Jared Nelson, 22, of Provo was in critical condition at Ogden Regional Medical Center, said spokeswoman Pam Vogle.

Sgt. Nelson said none of the van's occupants was wearing a seat belt, and all of them were thrown from the vehicle.

"There's no question they wouldn't have been hurt in that van if they would have had seat belts on," Nelson said. "I have no doubt that there would have been more survivors."

The students had been celebrating agriculture week, but USU President Stan Albrecht said festivities would be greatly subdued or canceled.

"I'm not sure if anyone copes with a loss of this magnitude," said Albrecht, who will be personally visiting the victims' families.

Utah State University evaluated its policy on 15-passenger vans after six students were injured in April 2001 when their 15-passenger van crashed during a snowstorm in Wyoming.

Utah State now requires all drivers to certify with a four-hour class, and the driver of the van Monday had taken the class, said USU spokesman John DeVilbiss.

The van "was inspected in June, so we're pretty confident that this tire was safe," DeVilbiss said. "They are very careful about maintaining these vehicles. The 15-passenger vans are a special breed of vehicle, and that's why they require students or instructors who drive them . . . to go through this class."

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Contributing: Kersten Swinyard, Deseret Morning News; Associated Press

E-mail: wleonard@desnews.com