Choon-Sook Yang, a 67-year-old Issaquah resident, was released Jan. 3 from Saint Mary Medical Center in Walla-Walla after being in serious condition, following the Sunday, Dec. 30 bus crash east of Pendleton, Ore. that killed another passenger.

Yang is resting at home, said her husband, Cheul Yang. He was not on the bus; he said his wife was on the way to visit a friend. Yang said his wife doesn’t remember much about the crash.

Choon-Sook suffered a broken backbone and shoulder Cheul said. She is now under the care of her primary physician. Cheul said it will take two to three months for her to recover.

A spokesperson at Saint Mary Medical Center said four patients were originally transferred to Walla-Walla. One was transferred immediately to another hospital, with another transferred later.

Saint Mary Medical Center is about an hour from Pendleton. The spokesperson said the Pendleton Hospital is small, so they had to dispatch patients to several hospitals where beds and surgeons were available.

Lieutenant Gregg Hastings with the Oregon State Police said the accident is still under investigation.

“It was on a flat, straight stretch of a two-lane freeway (I-84),” he said.

Hastings said there have been crashes in the area before, due to snow and ice.

The tour bus was carrying 47 passengers, of which 38 were injured. Nine have been Staff writer Linda Ball can be reached at 425-391-0363, ext. 5052. deceased.