Team bus involved in minor accident

SANDPOINT — An elderly driver received minor injuries Wednesday after her vehicle was sideswiped about five miles east of Baker City, Ore., by a Wheatland Express Charter Bus carrying Sandpoint High School soccer players and coaches.

The bus was eastbound Interstate 84 near milepost 314 when it sideswiped a passenger car that had stopped in the roadway at about 2:20 p.m., according to Oregon State Police. The reason why the passenger car stopped is not available at this time,

There were no injuries to any of the approximately 40 students and coaches on the bus and the driver of the vehicle, an 85-year-old woman whose name was not released, was taken to St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Baker city with minor injuries.

The teams were en route to the Boise area for the state tournament, which begins today.

SHS boys soccer coach Randy Thoreson said the accident occurred in a construction area where cars from the right lane were feeding into the left lane.

"It appeared she got a little confused as to when to get over and our bus tried to go between the left lane and the right lane when she pulled over," Thoreson said. "We ended up catching the back end of her car and a bit along the side."

While the accident delayed the teams' journey by about 90 minutes, Thoreson said the important thing is that no one got hurt.

"We're all here, we all safe and we're still driving the same bus," he said, before adding with a laugh. "We like to look tough."

Oregon State Police troopers from Baker City are completing the investigation.