Bus Crash in Virginia Results in Multiple Fatalities

A tragic accident occurred early Friday morning on a Virginia highway, involving a bus crash that resulted in the deaths of at least five individuals and left nearly forty-four others injured, as reported by the Virginia State Police. The bus driver, Jing S. Dong, aged 48, from Staten Island, New York, faces two charges of involuntary manslaughter, with further charges pending. Dong also sustained injuries in the crash.

The collision happened around 2:35 a.m. Eastern Time on Interstate 95 in Stafford County. According to police reports, the bus failed to reduce speed in response to slowing traffic and collided with six vehicles. It initially struck a Chevrolet Suburban, leading to a chain reaction involving an Acura SUV and additional vehicles. The impact resulted in the deaths of four people in the Acura and one individual in the Suburban.

Five people were killed when a bus plowed into several vehicles on Interstate 95 in Virginia on Friday, May 29, 2026.

The four individuals in the Acura were a family on their way to a wedding in South Carolina. State Police identified them as Dmitri Doncev, his wife Ecterina, and their children, Emily and Mark, aged 13 and 7. The victim from the Suburban was identified as Priscilla Mafalda, aged 25, from Worcester, Massachusetts.

Following the crash, forty-four people were transported to local hospitals, with three in critical condition. At the time, the bus carried 34 passengers. An initial investigation revealed that traffic was slowing on the southbound lane due to a work zone. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched its own investigation, revealing the bus was operated by E&P Travel of Kings Mountain, North Carolina, en route from New York to North Carolina.

NTSB member Tom Chapman stated that the absence of significant braking suggested the impact’s severity. The Board plans to release a preliminary report within 30 days. Both the state police and NTSB are scrutinizing the bus driver’s actions preceding the crash. Chapman highlighted the importance of reviewing the driver’s activities in the 72 hours before the incident, considering factors like sleep patterns and potential distractions or substance use.