Charges Pending Against Bus Driver After 5 Killed On I-95 In VA

STAFFORD COUNTY, VA — Charges are pending against the driver of a bus that plowed into slowed traffic on Interstate 95 in Stafford County on Friday, killing five people and injuring dozens of others, according to police.

The investigation is ongoing following the crash, which occurred shortly after 2:30 a.m. at mile marker 146, according to Virginia State Police. Investigators said traffic was slowing for an upcoming work zone when a bus failed to slow and struck a Chevrolet Suburban, pushing it into an Acura SUV and other cars.

Among those killed were a 45-year-old man, a 44-year-old woman, a 13-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy, all from Greenfield, Massachusetts. All were in the Acura, which police said caught fire after the collisions.

• RELATED: I-95 Crash Kills 5, Injures Dozens In VA After Bus Hits Slowing Traffic

Police did not release their names, but a statement from the school the children attended in Greenfield said they were Dmitri and Ecaterina Doncev and their daughter, Emily, and son, Mark.

“The Doncev family was a cherished part of our school community, and their loss is being felt deeply by our students, families, faculty, and staff,” Providence Christian Academy said.

The fifth person killed was a 25-year-old woman from Worcester, Massachusetts, who was in the Suburban.

About 44 patients were taken to area hospitals, including three with critical injuries, police said.

The bus driver, Jing S. Dong, 48, of Staten Island, New York, was also injured in the crash.

In a statement shared Friday on X, Sean Duffy, secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, suggested Dong, a Chinese national who became a U.S. citizen, had "no business driving a bus" because he didn't speak English.

"Unacceptable," Duffy wrote. "This is exactly why we are holding states accountable, enforcing the rules of the road, and cracking down on drivers who can’t speak English."

He continued, "If you can’t be properly trained, read our road signs, or communicate with law enforcement, you have no business driving a bus."

According to Duffy, Dong received his commercial driver's license from New York State in 2024. Duffy said USDOT investigators are now reviewing New York licensing records and training documentation, as well as Dong's driver's history.

"Any company, trainer, or school that contributed to putting an unqualified driver on the road will face intense scrutiny," he said.

According to police, the bus was traveling from New York City to Charlotte, North Carolina, when the crash occurred.

After the bus hit the Suburban, the Suburban was pushed into an Acura SUV and other vehicles. The bus also struck additional vehicles, according to the preliminary investigation.

Police said the bus was carrying about 34 people at the time of the crash.

The bus was operated by E&P Travel Inc., based in Kings Mountain, North Carolina. A compliance snapshot from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration showed only one injury accident involving the company’s vehicles in the previous two years and listed its safety rating as “satisfactory.”

The company was incorporated on Nov. 24, 2023, by Shuo Liu, according to records from the North Carolina Secretary of State’s office. Liu is also listed as the registered agent. The FMCSA site said the company operated four vehicles and had 11 drivers.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation by Virginia State Police, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.