5 Killed, Dozens Injured in Horrific Bus Crash on I-95 in Virginia

If you've ever driven I-95 through Virginia — one of the busiest highway corridors on the East Coast — this one is going to hit differently.

In the early hours of Friday, May 29, a bus barreled into stopped traffic near a highway work zone in Stafford County, Virginia, killing five people and sending dozens more to the hospital. It happened at 2:35 in the morning, when most of the people caught in that crash had no idea what was coming.

Here's how it unfolded: A bus operated by E&P Travel was heading from New York City to Charlotte, North Carolina when, traffic was slowing in the southbound lane as cars approached a work zone — and the bus failed to slow for traffic. The bus first struck a Chevrolet Suburban, which then hit an Acura SUV and additional vehicles.

The toll is heartbreaking. The four people killed in the Acura — which caught fire after the collision — were a family of four from Greenfield, Massachusetts, on their way to a wedding in South Carolina. They were identified as Dmitri Doncev, his wife Ecterina, their daughter Emily, and son Mark. A 45-year-old father, a 44-year-old mother, a 13-year-old girl, and a 7-year-old boy — an entire family, gone. The fifth victim was 25-year-old Priscilla Mafalda from Worcester, Massachusetts, who was driving the Chevrolet Suburban when she was struck by the bus and then hit the Acura the family was in.

Forty-four other people were taken to area hospitals, three with critical injuries. There were 34 people aboard the bus at the time of the collision.

The driver, Jing S. Dong, 48, of Staten Island, New York, has since been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, with additional charges pending. He was arrested and remained in custody while hospitalized with unspecified injuries. A magistrate determined he will be held without bond pending his first court appearance, which will be scheduled after his release from the hospital.

Federal investigators are now digging into exactly why this happened. The NTSB confirmed that the bus driver's speed, potential fatigue, and possible language barriers are among the key factors being examined. On the question of braking, investigators have been blunt: the bus was clearly traveling at a high rate of speed, though the precise figure hasn't been pinned down yet — and the evidence suggests little if any braking occurred before impact.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending a team to conduct a safety investigation into the crash. A preliminary report is expected within 30 days, while a final report will take between 12 and 24 months.

Why does this matter beyond the immediate tragedy? Work zones on major highways are consistently among the most dangerous spots on American roads — and this crash is a stark reminder of what happens when a multi-ton vehicle doesn't account for slowing traffic. If you regularly drive I-95, travel on interstate buses, or just share the road with commercial vehicles at night, the factors investigators are scrutinizing here — speed, driver fatigue, reaction time — are ones that affect everyone. This isn't an isolated freak accident. It's the kind of crash safety advocates warn about constantly, and one that's likely to spark fresh scrutiny of commercial bus operators and work zone safety standards.