A charter bus driver faces charges following a tragic accident in Virginia that resulted in the deaths of five individuals.
Jing S. Dong, a driver from Staten Island, New York, and a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from China, has been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter. Dong, who acquired his commercial driver’s license in 2024, may face additional charges, as reported by the Virginia State Police on Saturday.
The incident occurred when Dong allegedly collided with an SUV while driving an E&P Travel bus in the southbound lanes of Interstate 95. This collision caused the SUV driver to crash into yet another vehicle around 2:35 a.m. on Friday in Stafford County.
Tragically, a teenage girl and a young boy, along with their parents, perished after their vehicle caught fire. They were in the car directly ahead of the one initially struck by the bus.
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The victims, identified as Dmitri Doncev, 45, his wife Ecterina, 44, their 13-year-old daughter Emily, and 7-year-old son Mark, were a family from Greenfield, Massachusetts.
A woman who was in the SUV immediately in front of the bus, was also killed.
The family has been identified as Dmitri Doncev, 45, his wife Ecterina, 44, their 13-year-old daughter, Emily and 7-year-old son, Mark, all of Greenfield, Massachusetts.
Five people died in the multi-car crash after the bus failed to stop, police said. (Virginia State Police)
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The woman was identified as Priscilla R. Mafalda, 25, of Worcester, Massachusetts.
“The preliminary investigation indicates that traffic was slowing southbound for an upcoming work zone. A bus, operated by E&P Travel and heading from New York City to Charlotte, N.C., failed to slow for traffic and struck a Chevrolet Suburban,” police said in a news release. “The Suburban was then forced into an Acura SUV as well as additional vehicles. The bus struck additional vehicles as well.”
Dozens of people were taken to hospitals after the crash. (Virginia State Police)
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Friday revealed that Dong is a naturalized U.S. citizen from China and does not speak English, which is against federal regulations for bus drivers who must be able to speak and understand well enough to do their job safely.
State police at the scene of the crash (Virginia State Police)
“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 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.”
Duffy added that the Transportation Department is investigating, “New York licensing records, training documentation, and the driver’s history. Any company, trainer, or school that contributed to putting an unqualified driver on the road will face intense scrutiny.”
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