5 Killed, Including 2 Children, in I-95 Bus Crash
Five people, including two children, were killed and 44 others injured early Friday morning when a charter bus failed to slow down in a work zone on Interstate 95 in Stafford County, Virginia, triggering a chain-reaction crash that left a vehicle engulfed in flames, according to NBC News. The bus driver, Jing S. Dong, 48, of Staten Island, New York, has been taken into custody with charges pending as state and federal investigators probe the circumstances of the collision.
The Crash
The accident occurred at approximately 2:35 a.m. on southbound I-95 at mile marker 146, near the Garrisonville exit, about 40 miles south of Washington, D.C. According to Virginia State Police, traffic was slowing for an upcoming work zone when the bus, operated by E&P Travel, failed to decelerate. The bus struck a Chevrolet Suburban, which was forced into an Acura SUV and other vehicles. The Acura caught fire following the collision, ABC News reported.
All southbound lanes of I-95 were closed for just over four hours, reopening around noon. Traffic backed up for approximately five miles after the highway reopened.
The Victims
Four of the five victims were members of a single family from Greenfield, Massachusetts, traveling to a wedding in South Carolina. Killed in the Acura were Dmitri Doncev, 45; Ecaterina Doncev, 44; their daughter Emily Doncev, 13; and their son Mark Doncev, 7. The fifth victim, a 25-year-old woman from Worcester, Massachusetts, was in the Chevrolet Suburban directly struck by the bus. Her name has not been publicly released.
In a statement provided to CBS News Boston, the Doncev family said: “Today, words cannot adequately express the pain and sorrow felt by their family, friends, church community, coworkers, classmates, and all who had the privilege of knowing them. Their absence leaves a void that can never be filled.”
Greenfield Mayor Virginia DeSorgher offered condolences, saying: “There are no words that can fully ease the weight of this sudden and unimaginable grief.”
The Driver and the Bus Company
Jing S. Dong, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from China, received his commercial driver’s license from New York State in 2024. He was injured in the crash, underwent surgery, and has been taken into custody. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on X that investigators are reviewing Dong’s licensing and training records. “If you can’t be properly trained, read our road signs, or communicate with law enforcement, you have no business driving a bus,” Duffy wrote.
E&P Travel, based in Kings Mountain, North Carolina, was incorporated in November 2023 and operates four vehicles with 11 drivers, according to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration records. Despite a “satisfactory” safety rating, the company had accumulated four violations — three for driving a motor coach 15 or more mph above the speed limit and one for a driver who allegedly could not satisfy English proficiency requirements. The company was also involved in a 2024 crash in which nine people were injured.
Survivor Accounts
Passengers described scenes of chaos and terror. Wayne Tobin, traveling to his mother’s funeral in Raleigh, told WTOP News: “There was blood everywhere. People holding their heads, their shoulders, still waking up trying to figure out what was going on.” Another passenger, Judy, who was traveling to see her sick father, recalled: “Boom, people screaming on the bus, glass flying everywhere, the bus turning over.”
Investigation and Response
The National Transportation Safety Board has dispatched a “go-team” to conduct a full safety investigation into the crash. Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger said on X: “My heart is with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives, and I am praying for a quick recovery for those injured.”
Stafford County Fire and Rescue deployed 13 transport units and two heavy rescue squads to the scene. As of Saturday, 14 of the 44 hospitalized patients had been discharged, with six remaining in care — one in critical condition, two in serious condition, and three in fair condition.
Broader Implications
The crash has reignited debate over commercial driver licensing standards, particularly regarding English proficiency requirements. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations require commercial drivers to be able to read and speak English sufficiently to converse with the public, understand highway signs, and respond to official inquiries. Dong’s case has drawn scrutiny to New York State’s CDL issuance practices.
What’s Next
The NTSB is expected to hold a briefing on its preliminary findings in the coming days. Criminal charges against Dong remain pending as the investigation continues. The tragedy has left the Greenfield, Massachusetts community in mourning and raised urgent questions about highway work zone safety and bus industry oversight.