12 People in a Minivan?

My parents are currently in Oklahoma City hoping to catch their scheduled flight home later today. They probably won't get out due to the ongoing ice storm that has been pummeling a big chunk of the midwest since Friday. The storm has created a lot of chaos for travelers, and has even contributed to deaths such as in this accident:

ELK CITY, Okla. - A minivan carrying 12 people skidded off an icy highway early Sunday and slammed into an oncoming tractor-trailer, killing seven, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said.

The eastbound van slid through the center median and struck a westbound tractor-trailer around 3:50 a.m., trooper Kera Philippi said. Five of the van's occupants were taken to a hospital, Philippi said.

The identities of the victims were not immediately released. Philippi said all the van's occupants were residents of Mexico.

A couple of things caught my eye. Maybe the writer misidentified the vehicle type, but seating in most minivans is limited to 7 or maybe 8. Twelve passengers will never fit safely in a minivan.
Also, the last line which states the van's occupants were residents of Mexico. I wonder how many were in this country legally? Could some smugglers have been trying to sneak some folks through the area using the storm to help hide their efforts? It's hard to say, but I'll be interested to hear any additional details that come out of this story.

UPDATE: Confirmation from Oklahoma that it was a minivan which should have only held 7 people legally.