The driving force of the bus on the heart of a lethal crash involving a number of autos on Interstate 95 in Virginia has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, Virginia State Police mentioned Saturday.
5 individuals have been killed and 44 others injured within the Friday crash.
Jing S. Dong, 48, of Staten Island, New York, who suffered accidents within the crash, was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, with extra prices pending, the state police mentioned.
The accident unfolded at about 2:35 a.m. on I-95 south in Stafford County, about 45 miles south of Washington, D.C., the state police mentioned.
5 individuals have been killed and 44 have been injured in a large crash between a bus and a number of autos on Interstate 95 in Stafford County, Virginia, Could 28, 2026.
Virginia State Police
As visitors slowed for a piece zone, the bus saved transferring at velocity and struck a Chevrolet Suburban, in accordance with the Nationwide Transportation Security Board and police.
The bus then hit different automobiles, whereas the Suburban was pressured into an Acura SUV and close by autos.
The scene of a deadly accident involving a passenger bus on Interstate 95 in close to Quantico, Va., Could 29, 2026.
Virginia State Police by way of AP
The Acura caught fireplace, police mentioned. 4 of the 5 individuals killed have been within the Acura: a 45-year-old man, a 44-year-old lady, a 13-year-old woman and a 7-year-old boy, all from Greenfield, Massachusetts, police mentioned.
5 individuals have been killed and 44 have been injured in a large crash between a bus and a number of autos on Interstate 95 in Stafford County, Virginia, Could 28, 2026.
Virginia State Police
The fifth sufferer killed, recognized as Priscilla R. Mafalda, 25, of Worcester, Massachusetts, was within the Suburban, police mentioned.
Forty-four individuals have been taken to hospitals, together with three with essential accidents, police mentioned.
The bus — which was en route from New York Metropolis to Charlotte, North Carolina — was carrying about 34 individuals, police mentioned.
Emergency autos arrive on the scene of a deadly accident involving a passenger bus on Interstate 95 in close to Quantico, Va., Could 29, 2026.
Perrini A. Esperanza
Tom Chapman, a board member with the NTSB, mentioned Saturday it was too early to verify any potential causes for the collision.
He mentioned the NTSB was attainable elements, together with impairment or mechanical points, and have been looking for any movies which will exist to help within the investigation.
The scene of a deadly accident involving a passenger bus on Interstate 95 in close to Quantico, Va., Could 29, 2026.
Virginia State Police by way of AP
Chapman additionally mentioned that investigators have been looking for to find out if the motive force did any braking previous to the accident to keep away from it.
“It appears pretty clear that if there was any braking, there wasn’t a lot due to the velocity and the severity of the collision, nevertheless it’s too early but to know precisely what was occurring on board the car,” he mentioned.
The federal company was investigating a number of driver elements together with fatigue, impairment, {qualifications} and medical occasions, in addition to freeway elements, together with work zone designs, whether or not variable velocity restrict indicators have been used and whether or not the tip of the visitors queue was monitored.
In line with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, federal investigators are reviewing Dong’s business driver’s license and coaching information to find out whether or not he was certified to drive a bus.
Site visitors backs up on the scene of a deadly accident involving a passenger bus on Interstate 95 in close to Quantico, Va., Could 29, 2026.
Perrini A. Esperanza
“Native police affirm the motive force of this motorcoach — a person from China who grew to become a U.S. citizen — does not converse English. He obtained his business drivers license from New York State in 2024. Unacceptable,” Duffy said on social media.
“If you happen to can’t be correctly educated, learn our highway indicators, or talk with regulation enforcement, you don’t have any enterprise driving a bus,” he added.
Lawyer info for Dong was not instantly out there.
The crash initially closed all lanes of I-95, Virginia’s Division of Transportation mentioned, inflicting large delays for the Friday commute. All lanes have since reopened.
-ABC Information’ Ivan Pereira contributed to this report.
