The driver of a motor coach bus that crashed on Interstate 95 in Virginia on Friday morning, killing five people and injuring more than 40 others, has been criminally charged. Jing S Dong, 48, faces two counts of involuntary manslaughter, with additional charges likely, according to Virginia state police.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is conducting a federal investigation into the wreck. Investigators are examining speed, fatigue, and language proficiency as potential factors in the particularly severe accident. Dong, a US citizen from China, does not speak English, according to investigators. Officials also noted that there was evidently little braking before the crash, given the vehicle's speed and the severity of the impact.
Dong, of Staten Island, New York, drove the bus into vehicles that had slowed down while approaching a work zone on I-95 in Stafford County at approximately 2:35 a.m. Friday. Among those killed were a family of four from Massachusetts who were traveling to a wedding in South Carolina, carrying homemade desserts for the event. The wedding was still scheduled for Sunday, but guests would also mourn the loss of Dmitri and Ecaterina Doncev and their two children, Emily and Mark, a relative said on Saturday.
The Doncev family emigrated from Moldova in 2008 and settled in Greenfield, Massachusetts. Dmitri worked as a nurse at Holyoke Medical Center, while Ecaterina was a hairstylist who spent several days preparing desserts for the wedding. The family was driving together in separate vehicles with Dmitri's brother, Iuri. At some point, they became separated, and Dmitri told his brother to go ahead, saying he would catch up later. When Dmitri failed to arrive and did not answer his phone, the family began to panic.
A GoFundMe campaign set up for the family's funeral expenses had exceeded its $50,000 goal by Sunday. The campaign page stated that the Doncevs "became a cherished part of their community and touched countless lives" through their displays of "faith, kindness, and dedication to others."
Virginia state police reported that the E&P Travel bus, driven by Dong from New York City to Charlotte, North Carolina, failed to slow down when other traffic did around the work zone. The bus struck a Chevrolet Suburban SUV, which then hit an Acura driven by the Doncev family. Priscilla Mafalda, 25, of Worcester, Massachusetts, who was in the Suburban, also died in the crash. Forty-four others were treated for injuries.
Dong was taken to a nearby hospital for injuries while under arrest. Prosecutors stated that his first court appearance would not occur until after his discharge from the hospital, and a magistrate approved his detention without bond until that time.
