Moses Lake-bound bus rolls in crash

CLE ELUM (AP) - A charter bus returning to Moses Lake from an exhibition soccer game in Seattle, rolled onto its side Saturday on Interstate 90.

Two passengers from Pasco died in the accident and 21 people were injured, according to the Washington State Patrol. Most of the injuries were believed to be minor.

The State Patrol says the MCI Tour Bus was eastbound on Interstate 90 at about 6:25 p.m., near Cle Elum, said Washington State Patrol Lt. Scott Martin.

The driver made a lane change that forced a Hyundai Elantra off the left side of the road. The car rolled twice and came to rest on the median.

A woman and a toddler in the Elantra suffered minor injuries. The driver, Dominik Kunigk, 30, Renton, was uninjured.

After avoiding the car, the bus swerved right and hit a disabled pickup on the side of I-90, causing the bus to roll onto its side.

The pickup truck's driver, Jeffrey R. Irmer, 24, Spokane, was standing outside the truck when the bus slammed into it. The accident broke Irmer's leg and he was flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where a nursing supervisor said he was in satisfactory condition Sunday.

His two passengers, who were inside the truck, were also injured.

Two people on the bus were killed: Ciro R. Astudillo, 51, and Virginia Ocamposoriano, 45, both of Pasco.

The bus was returning to Eastern Washington following an exhibition soccer match between Mexico and Ecuador in Seattle on Saturday.

The driver was identified as Elmer Schuman, 67.

Paul Jimenez told Seattle's King TV that he drove up to the scene just moments after the crash.

"I saw people crawling out from underneath the bus, or being dragged out. I saw people coming out from the top," he said.

"People were hugging and crying," Jimenez said. "It's kind of shocking. I'm still a little bit in shock right now."

Kittitas Valley Community Hospital in Ellensburg said nine of the injured were treated at its facilities and all were in satisfactory condition.

Martin said he didn't have any other details on the crash, including how fast the bus was traveling.

The eastbound lanes of I-90 were closed for investigation but reopened by about 1:30 a.m. Sunday.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

The Washington State Patrol is searching for witnesses to the bus crash and ask them to call Detective Sgt. Jerry Cooper at 360-805-1192 or Detective Curt Ladines 360-805-1160.