DHS confirms DUI charge against non-English-speaking driver in Virginia crash that killed 5

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has confirmed to News Agency that a naturalized U.S. citizen from China, who does not speak English, is facing charges in connection with a tragic crash in Virginia. This accident, which occurred on Friday morning, resulted in the deaths of five individuals and left dozens more injured. The accused, Jing Sheng Dong, aged 48 and a resident of Staten Island, New York, is being charged with driving under the influence and without a valid license.

According to the Stafford County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, Dong has been charged with five counts of involuntary manslaughter and one count of reckless driving. A spokesperson from DHS further confirmed on Tuesday that charges have been filed against him for driving while intoxicated and operating a vehicle without a valid license on the day the fatal accident occurred.

The multi-vehicle collision happened after the bus failed to stop, resulting in the loss of five lives, as reported by the police. The Virginia State Police indicated that the crash involved a bus driven by Dong, who allegedly collided with several vehicles in a work zone on Interstate 95. This occurred as the traffic had slowed down, and Dong was reportedly driving at a high speed.

The victims included a family of four from Greenfield, Massachusetts, who were on their way to attend a wedding, as well as an unidentified 25-year-old woman from Worcester, Massachusetts. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is involved in the ongoing investigation of this tragic incident.

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officials said that on the day of the crash, Dong was driving a bus from New York to North Carolina along Interstate 95 when he allegedly struck a line of vehicles that had slowed down in a work zone at “a high rate of speed.”

A family of four traveling from Greenfield, Massachusetts, to attend a wedding were killed, along with an unidentified 25-year-old woman from Worcester, Massachusetts.

Among the family members killed were a 13-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy, according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

Dozens of people were taken to hospitals after the crash. (Virginia State Police)

Dong, who did not speak English, received his commercial driver’s license from New York in 2024, Duffy said.

Court records obtained by The Associated Press show he was previously accused of speeding 18 mph over the limit in Colonial Heights, Virginia, in November 2024 and speeding 22 mph over the limit in Annapolis, Maryland, in March.

He also has a pending trespassing case in Mecklenburg County, Virginia, and was naturalized under the Obama administration on Aug. 14, 2012, DHS officials said.

“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,” Duffy wrote in a statement on X. “If you can’t be properly trained, read our road signs, or communicate with law enforcement, you have no business driving a bus.”

He added investigators are reviewing New York licensing records, training documentation and Dong’s history.

U.S. Department of Transportation special agents were seen at a home connected to E&P Travel Inc., the bus operator based in Kings Mountain, North Carolina.

State police were seen at the scene of the crash. (Virginia State Police)

The company’s CEO is listed as Shuo Liu, who also reportedly leads Triple Group Inc., based in Charlotte, North Carolina, according to North Carolina state business records obtained by WBTV.

The listed address for the Charlotte business is a bus stop in a strip mall, and signs at the location advertise regular transportation service between the bus stop and New York City’s Chinatown, the outlet reported.

Bus crash

The bus was seen crushed off the side of the highway following the crash. (@SecDuffy via X)

“Any company, trainer, or school that contributed to putting an unqualified driver on the road will face intense scrutiny,” Duffy said. “My prayers are with the loved ones of the innocent lives lost and those who were hurt in this horrific crime.”

The NTSB launched a team to investigate the crash.

E&P Travel Inc. did not immediately respond to News Agency’s request for comment. Dong could not immediately be reached for comment.

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