Virginia driver charged with manslaughter after deadly bus crash leaves five dead, 44 injured

QUANTICO, VIRGINIA: The driver accused of causing a massive multi-car crash near Quantico, Virginia, that left five people dead and 44 others injured, has been arrested and charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter.

Stafford Commonwealth’s Attorney Eric Olsen announced the initial charges, stating that “probable cause presently exists to establish that the driver of the tour bus caused this crash and, at the time of the crash, he was driving in a criminally negligent manner.”

Bus driver charged in deadly I-95 crash

State police identified the driver as 48-year-old Jing S Dong of Staten Island, New York. Dong was injured in the collision and remains hospitalized under police custody, where he will be held without bond until his first court appearance, Olsen said.

Authorities are heavily scrutinizing his actions, with Matt Demlein of the Virginia State Police confirming that investigators are looking closely into Dong’s “actions prior to the crash.”

Federal officials are also stepping in to investigate the driver's background and fitness to operate the commercial vehicle.

Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy stated that the department is actively reviewing Dong’s training documentation, driver history, and New York licensing records, noting that local police reported the driver did not speak English.

To understand what caused the failure to stop, federal investigators are launching a deep dive into the hours leading up to the impact.

“We do a 72-hour look back to see what the driver’s activities were during the days leading up to the crash, so we’re looking for sleep issues, distraction issues, potential drug and alcohol issues,” NTSB board member Tom Chapman said during a news conference on Saturday, May 30.

Chapman also added detail regarding the final moments before impact, “If there was any braking, there wasn’t much.”

Inside the fatal Virginia bus crash

The tragic crash occurred around 2:35 am on May 29 in the southbound lanes of Interstate 95, where traffic was actively slowing due to a highway work zone ahead.

The tour bus, operated by North Carolina-based E&P Travel, was carrying 34 passengers from New York City to Charlotte, North Carolina, when it slammed into the back of the slow-moving traffic.

The high-speed impact set off a violent chain reaction that smashed multiple vehicles and ignited intense fires on the interstate. The dangerous mechanics of the crash were detailed by local prosecutors on Saturday.

“A tour bus, travelling southbound at a high rate of speed, struck one or more vehicles that were moving slowly through a work zone, causing a chain reaction crash involving at least 8 vehicles,” Eric Olsen said in a release.

Notably, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has deployed a six-member team to investigate the scene.

According to Tom Chapman, the safety probe will examine the bus driver’s actions, vehicle defects, and the setup of the highway construction site, including whether the growing traffic backup was being properly monitored.

First responders rush to deadly crash

First responders arrived at a chaotic scene that required massive search, rescue, and fire-suppression resources from multiple regional departments.

The Stafford County Fire Fighters Union described the intense scene on Facebook, stating that crews “encountered a devastating scene involving multiple vehicles, numerous injured occupants, and several vehicles on fire.”

The union added that “Both Stafford County Heavy Rescue companies worked extensively to extricate multiple trapped victims while engine company personnel simultaneously operated to suppress vehicle fires and secure the incident scene.”

None of the five people killed were passengers on the bus.

Four of the victims, including two children, were traveling together in a struck Acura, with their ages ranging from 7 to 45 years old. 

Police identified the fifth victim as Priscilla Mafalda, 25, of Worcester, Massachusetts, who was riding in a Chevrolet Suburban hit by the bus. An additional 44 people suffered injuries and were rushed to regional hospitals, where three arrived in critical condition.

While dozens have since been treated and released, several remain under serious care at the Mary Washington Hospital trauma center.