Bus Crash Update: Driver of Car Suspected of DUI

The extent of damage to the vehicles is seen before tow trucks moved in after a crash at Holland and Evans Roads. Menifee 24/7 photos: Doug Spoon

Story updated at 12:45 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11:

The driver of a car that crashed into a school bus in Menifee on Wednesday was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, a California Highway Patrol spokesman said today.

Officer Mike Lassig told Menifee 24/7 that Garrett Breece, 22, of the Romoland community of Menifee was arrested and released into the care of doctors at Inland Valley Medical Center, where he received lacerations to the face. The cause of the collision and any resulting charges are pending completion of the investigation, he said.

Breece and two passengers of the vehicle -- 18-year-old Joshua Witten of Menifee and a 17-year-old female from Quail Valley whose name was not released -- were transported to the hospital with minor to major injuries.

A fourth occupant of the vehicle fled the scene and has not been located.

"We are searching for the passenger to ascertain why that person fled from the scene," Lassig said. "It's undetermined what that person's injuries are or who this person is."

The only injury reported among 19 Paloma Valley High School students on the school bus was a female who was transported to Loma Linda Medical Center in Murrieta, complaining of dizziness. She was evaluated and later released, Lassig said.

An initial report by the Riverside County Fire Department stated there were 22 injuries -- a report picked up by some media outlets. Officials on the scene quickly confirmed the report was not accurate, however.

The driver of the school bus was identified as Rogelio Zuniga, 19, of Perris. The Perris Union High School District contracts with the Hemet Valley Unified School District for bus services.

Alexandrea Cass, a spokesperson for Hemet Valley Unified, said anyone over the age of 18 who passes state certification can be licensed to drive a school bus. She said Zuniga had exceeded the required training hours by 40 hours. Following standard procedure following a bus accident in which someone is hospitalized, Zuniga is off duty pending the investigation, Cass said.

The bus collided with the other vehicle about 2 p.m. Wednesday at the intersection of Holland Road and Evans Road, a few blocks from the high school. The bus was heading northbound on Evans Road when it stopped at a stop sign at Holland Road before turning left to head westbound on Holland Road. There it collided with the Sentra, which was headed eastbound downhill on Holland Road.

Lassig said that as the bus began to make a left turn westbound onto Holland Road, the Nissan Sentra was traveling eastbound "at an undetermined speed."

"The driver of the Sentra applied the brakes but was unable to stop in time," Lassig continued.

As a tow truck and clean-up crews arrived on the scene, a long set of skid marks showed where the Sentra had tried to stop before its right front crashed into the left front of the school bus, which was carrying students on their way home from school.