Family walks away from harrowing crash with bumps, bruises
SEATTLE -- Michele Kunigk is seven months into what she calls a difficult pregnancy. But she never expected the tragedy that struck on Saturday.
That's when a tour bus lost control on Interstate 90 near Cle Elum and hit her car before smashing into a disabled truck and rolling over.
Kunigk's husband, Dominik, was at the wheel at the time. Michele was napping in the front passenger seat. Their daughter, Nya, was in the back, reading a children's Bible.
Michele awoke to her husband's screams. She saw twisted metal and shattered glass all over the roadway.
"When I opened my eyes, all I saw was the bus. I could have reached out and touched it," she said.
Dominik had swerved to avoid the bus and ended up flipping his car several times. All Michele can remember is the sound of crunching metal, and the overwhelming smell of soil.
"Almost immediately, I have dirt in my eyes, face, dirt in my mouth," she said. "It's almost like a movie, playing it back in my head ... It's kind of surreal. It's just starting to feel real."
The crash killed two people and injured 21 others. But the Kunigks walked away with just a few bumps and scratches. Their daughter was not injured.
"I think part of the reason why she is completely fine is because there's nothing that could have hit her," said Dominik.
In a strange twist of fate, Dominik had packed his car differently that day. The reason for the change was a book he'd picked up that very day about a pastor's near-death experience. It was the book that had convinced him to get an oil change, check his tires and pack nothing heavy or potentially damaging inside the car.
"The only thing we had in the back of the car was pillows," said Michele. "We got lucky. God definitely wrapped his arms around us and kept us safe."
Call it luck, happenstance or divine intervention. Dominik and his wife are grateful for the second chance.
"I don't think I will ever take health or life for granted, especially for my family," he said.
As far as the crash, no charges have been filed and the investigation is ongoing.
Troopers are still looking for witnesses. Anyone who saw the crash is urged to contact Washington State Patrol immediately.
That's when a tour bus lost control on Interstate 90 near Cle Elum and hit her car before smashing into a disabled truck and rolling over.
Kunigk's husband, Dominik, was at the wheel at the time. Michele was napping in the front passenger seat. Their daughter, Nya, was in the back, reading a children's Bible.
Michele awoke to her husband's screams. She saw twisted metal and shattered glass all over the roadway.
"When I opened my eyes, all I saw was the bus. I could have reached out and touched it," she said.
Dominik had swerved to avoid the bus and ended up flipping his car several times. All Michele can remember is the sound of crunching metal, and the overwhelming smell of soil.
"Almost immediately, I have dirt in my eyes, face, dirt in my mouth," she said. "It's almost like a movie, playing it back in my head ... It's kind of surreal. It's just starting to feel real."
The crash killed two people and injured 21 others. But the Kunigks walked away with just a few bumps and scratches. Their daughter was not injured.
"I think part of the reason why she is completely fine is because there's nothing that could have hit her," said Dominik.
In a strange twist of fate, Dominik had packed his car differently that day. The reason for the change was a book he'd picked up that very day about a pastor's near-death experience. It was the book that had convinced him to get an oil change, check his tires and pack nothing heavy or potentially damaging inside the car.
"The only thing we had in the back of the car was pillows," said Michele. "We got lucky. God definitely wrapped his arms around us and kept us safe."
Call it luck, happenstance or divine intervention. Dominik and his wife are grateful for the second chance.
"I don't think I will ever take health or life for granted, especially for my family," he said.
As far as the crash, no charges have been filed and the investigation is ongoing.
Troopers are still looking for witnesses. Anyone who saw the crash is urged to contact Washington State Patrol immediately.
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