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Van rolls over on summit; 11 end up in area hospitals By Damian Mann For The Tidings A 3-year-old girl and a 29-year-old woman are recovering from serious injuries at Rogue Valley Medical Center after they were ejected from a van during a rollover accident near the Siskiyou Summit Saturday afternoon. Amy Afalava, 29, of Bremerton, Wash., said her daughter, Mirinda, and sister, Vai Fina, also of Bremerton, are both doing well, but suffered the worst injuries of the 11 people who were in the 15-passenger van. Afalava said her daughter - nicknamed "Babu" - needed reconstructive surgery to repair injuries to her face. "She landed head first in the gravel," she said. "She's making a full recovery. We're just waiting for the swelling to go down." Fina suffered a punctured lung, said Afalava, but her sister is recovering as well. "All the other kids went home with their uncles and aunties," she said. "We're OK." Seven children - six boys and one girl - and four adults were in the van at the time of the accident. Afalava's 2-year-old son, Viche, also received minor injuries, but has been released from the hospital. "I just want to say that the nurses here have been wonderful, and I want to thank all the passersby for their help," said Afalava. Oregon State Police said the van began heading down Siskiyou Summit when it drifted into the inside paved shoulder. Afalava said the driver of a tractor-trailer appeared to be falling asleep at the wheel and kept drifting into the van's lane. The driver of the van, Isaako Alefaio, 31, of Seattle, Wash, lost control in the gravel and ice, said Afalava. The passengers in the van, who are American-Samoan, were returning from a family gathering in San Francisco. Alefaio was treated and released from Providence Hospital Sunday. Afalava's husband, Viei Afalava, said he didn't find out about the accident until he returned home to Bremerton. He had also been at the family gathering, but returned in a different vehicle. "They're all OK," he said from his home Sunday evening. "Thank God." LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -