Police Seek Drunk-Driving Suspect After Second Accident Victim Dies : Traffic deaths: A Costa Mesa man faces two counts of vehicular homicide. Mothers Against Drunk Driving wants tougher charges.

As friends and family members of Air Force Master Sgt. Roger G. Olmsted gathered to comfort each other after his death, police Friday searched for a 27-year-old man in connection with the drunk-driving accident that also resulted in the death of Olmsted’s sister-in-law.

Olmsted, who had been in a coma since the July 17 accident, died at UCI Medical Center in Orange Thursday afternoon, hospital officials said.

His sister-in-law, Susan St. Clair of Costa Mesa, died in surgery shortly after the crash.

The Taurus station wagon that Olmsted was driving was struck broadside by a jeep driven by Brian A. Klamm of Costa Mesa, who suffered a broken leg in the crash, police said. Police said Klamm’s vehicle, traveling at an estimated 70 m.p.h., rear-ended another car before veering into Olmsted’s station wagon.

Tests taken shortly after the accident showed that Klamm’s blood-alcohol level was 0.11, above the legal limit of 0.08, said Costa Mesa Police Lt. Alan Kent.

Tests on the other two drivers involved, Olmsted and Lourdes Castrejon, 27, of Costa Mesa, showed that neither had been drinking, Kent said.

Klamm, who has been convicted twice for drunk driving, faces two counts of vehicular manslaughter, two counts of drunk driving and a variety of other charges, Deputy District Atty. Gary Paer said.

Paer said he was preparing a case against Klamm in connection with St. Clair’s death when Olmsted died, and he quickly amended an arrest warrant to include the second vehicular manslaughter charge.

In addition to the warrants filed Thursday night, Klamm is wanted on an outstanding warrant for an unspecified traffic violation, Kent said.

Police were notified Thursday night to pick up Klamm but were unable to find him, Kent said.

Friends of Olmsted’s and officials with Mothers Against Drunk Driving, which has been offering support to the family, said they think the charges filed against Klamm should be tougher.

“We wish that a case like this could be filed as second-degree murder because certainly, this individual knew the consequences of his behavior,” said Janet Cater, spokeswoman for the Orange County MADD chapter. “But we do understand that, according to the guidelines of our district attorney’s office, they will be filing as strongly as they feel they are able to.”

The accident, which left seven other people injured, occurred about 8 p.m. as the Olmsteds and the St. Clairs returned from dinner at a local restaurant.

Olmsted, 45, his wife, Alta, 39, and their two daughters, Dana, 21, and Jennifer, 18, had been living in West Germany for five years but were in Costa Mesa for the funeral of Alta Olmsted’s father.

Olmstead was born in Buffalo, N.Y., grew up in Arizona and graduated from Arcadia High School in Phoenix before entering the Army for three years.

“He was exceedingly bright,” said his sister, Virginia Streiff of San Antonio. “He had an outstanding sense of humor, but that was nothing compared to his abiding sense of duty. He had a wonderful sense of responsibility to his fellow military.”

After leaving the Army, Olmsted worked briefly at Sears & Roebuck in Costa Mesa, where he and Alta Olmsted met. The couple were married in 1968, the same year Olmsted entered the Air Force.

One of Olmsted’s achievements in the Air Force was serving as commandant for professional military education at Holloman Air Force Base in Alamogordo, N.M., Streiff said.

“He got great praise for his work. He was highly respected,” said Sam Elliott of Sparks, Nev., who served in the Air Force with Olmsted.

Elliott said Olmsted was selected as a first sergeant in 1988, an honor since there is only one per squadron. He also received a meritorious service medal and a commendation medal with three oak leaf clusters, according to Master Sgt. Tom Guerin of the Air Force Military Records Section in Randolph, Tex.

Olmsted was only about two months away from retiring from the Air Force when the accident happened.

Friends and family said Olmsted loved the outdoors and was devoted to his family.

“They went everywhere with him. I don’t think he went anywhere without his two daughters,” Elliott said.

In addition to his wife, two daughters and sister, Olmsted is survived by his mother, Cameron Olmsted of San Antonio.

No date has been set for the funeral, but it will be held in Fort Sam Houston Cemetery in San Antonio with full military honors.

Times staff writer James M. Gomez contributed to this story.