2 Motorcyclists Killed By Bus In Mt. Rainier Park -- Four Others Injured In Traffic Accident

A bus swerving to avoid rear-ending a vehicle smashed into a group of about 20 motorcyclists in Mount Rainier National Park yesterday, killing two and injuring four others, a park spokesman said.

A man and a woman belonging to the Tacoma chapter of the Harley-Davidson Owners Group were killed when their motorcycle was knocked down a 300-foot slope, said park spokesman Glenn Baker. They were identified by the Pierce County medical examiner's office as Robert Hyde, 46, and his wife, Marybeth, 41, of Tacoma.

Two other couples belonging to the motorcycle club were admitted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

Randal Smith, 37, and Janice Smith, 37, of Graham, Pierce County, suffered head injuries and were in critical condition today, hospital spokesman Larry Zalin said.

Donald Barenz, 45, and Patricia Delaney, 39, of Puyallup, were in satisfactory condition today. Barenz had a shoulder injury, and Delaney had a fractured leg, Zalin said.

The bus driver, Mark Richards, 25, of Seattle was not injured, the Park Service said. Baker said Richards has been given blood and urine tests as part of the State Patrol's investigation of the crash. No citations had been issued by midday today.

Baker said the vehicle is a small, old school bus that had been converted for use as a motorhome.

The accident occurred about 2 p.m. on Highway 410 in the northeast corner of the park near a road that leads to Sunrise.

It was near an old, two-lane bridge that is being rebuilt, Baker said. Traffic on the Deadwood Creek Bridge is restricted to one lane. Synchronized stoplights at each end of the bridge stop traffic in one direction so that vehicles from the other direction can cross the bridge, Baker said.

A line of southbound vehicles, with the motorcycle group led by the Hydes near the front, had crossed the bridge when the bus rounded a curve, encountered the line of vehicles stopped by the red light and swerved, Baker said.

A 9-mile stretch of Highway 410, from Cayuse Pass to the Crystal Mountain junction just north of the park boundary, was closed in both directions for six hours after the accident.

Balmy weather brought crowds of visitors to the park, about 70 miles southeast of Seattle, causing congested roadways.

About 20 motorcycles ridden by members of the club were traveling together at the time of the crash.

The crash is being investigated by the National Park Service and the State Patrol.