San Bernardino Mountains, Ca, February 22, 2011, 8:00am – On February 21, 2011 at approximately 11:50 a.m., a 25-passenger bus registered to Light of Love Mission Church, Pasadena, California had just left the Pinecrest Christian Conference Center, Twin Peaks, California. The bus was carrying 22 occupants and traveling westbound on State Route 189 when it collided with a gray Nissan Murrano with two occupants that was traveling eastbound on State Route 189. After the collision, the bus veered off the road striking a power pole before it went approximately 50 feet down the mountainside and collided with several trees. As a result of the collision, the bus driver, identified as Won Seok Chae, 61 year old resident of Los Angeles, sustained fatal injuries and twenty-three people were injured and transported to area hospitals. Ten of the patients had serious injuries and thirteen patients had minor to moderate injuries. The names of the victims involved in this collision have not been confirmed. At this time, the cause of the collision is still under investigation. The California Highway Patrol, Multi-disciplinary Accident Investigation Team (MAIT) will be assisting with the collision investigation. State Route 189 was closed for several hours due to the investigation and traffic was diverted to alternate routes. The following agencies were on scene to assist with the collision, California Highway Patrol, Crest Forest Fire Department, San Bernardino County Fire, Cal Fire, Running Springs Fire Department, Mercy Air, U.S. Forest Service, and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
