The driver of a bus involved in a deadly crash in Stafford County has been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, Virginia State Police said.
Five people were killed when a bus crashed into multiple vehicles on I-95 at around 2:35 a.m. Friday about two miles south of the exit for Quantico. Forty-four people were also sent to area hospitals, three of whom had injuries authorities described as critical.
The driver of the bus, 48-year-old Jing S. Dong, is from Staten Island, N.Y. and was one of those injured in the crash.
Drivers were slowed down because of a work zone when the bus driver “failed to slow for traffic” and slammed into several vehicles, police said the initial investigation showed Friday.
The investigation into the crash is still underway, and police said they are examining Dong’s actions before the crash.
U.S. Duffy posted on social media police confirmed the bus driver is a U.S. citizen originally from China who does not speak English.
“Unacceptable. 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 wrote.
But the Department of Transportation website includes language about road sign symbols and how they are used to overcome language barriers.
The DOT is investigating the driver’s history and records from New York state, where he received a commercial license in 2024, Duffy said.
Other charges in addition to involuntary manslaughter are pending, police said.
Among the victims of the crash was a family of four. Dimitri and Ecaterina Doncev, along with their two children, Emily and Mark — were from Greenfield, Massachusetts. They were on their way to a family wedding in South Carolina when their car was struck, a family member told News4.
Police haven’t confirmed the identities of the family but did say Friday four people in an Acura SUV died when the bus shoved a Chevrolet Suburban into the Acura.
Priscilla R. Mafalda, who was in the Suburban, was also killed, police said. She was 25 years old and from Worcester, Massachusetts.
from Local – NBC4 Washington https://ift.tt/mVG7MkS
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