Virginia bus – A work-zone crash on Interstate 95 in Stafford County killed five people after a bus driver failed to slow down, officials said. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called it “unacceptable,” saying the driver does not speak English and that federal scruti
At around 2:35 a.m. Friday, an E&P Travel bus heading from New York to North Carolina failed to slow down near a work zone on Interstate 95 in Stafford County, slammed into several cars, and left emergency crews dealing with a pileup that would later be counted in lives lost.
Five people died in the multi-car crash. according to the Virginia State Police: a 13-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy. both from Massachusetts. were in the car ahead of the one the bus hit and died there. A 45-year-old man and a 44-year-old woman also died after their car caught fire; all four victims were from Massachusetts. A 25-year-old woman in the car immediately in front of the bus was also killed.
At least 44 others were taken to hospitals, including three in critical condition, police said. The driver of the bus, identified as Jing S. Dong, 48, of Staten Island, New York, was injured in the crash. Police said charges are pending.
Dong, authorities said, is a naturalized citizen originally from China. He received his commercial driver’s license in New York two years ago. The questions around his fitness to drive have now widened beyond the crash scene.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the driver does not speak English. calling the situation “unacceptable.” In a post on X. Duffy wrote: “Unacceptable. This is exactly why we are holding states’ accountable. enforcing the rules of the road. and cracking down on drivers who can’t speak English.” He added: “If you can’t be properly trained. read our road signs. or communicate with law enforcement. you have no business driving a bus.”.
Duffy said the Transportation Department is investigating “New York licensing records, training documentation, and the driver’s history.” He added that any company, trainer, or school that contributed to putting an unqualified driver on the road will face intense scrutiny.
Federal law requires commercial drivers to speak English well enough to do their job safely. In February, Duffy previously announced that all truckers and bus drivers would be required to take the test to get their license in English.
For the people in the cars caught in the work-zone collision. the immediate reality is the same: five deaths. dozens injured. and a crash that police say turned on the failure to slow down. For the investigation that follows. the focus now extends to whether the driver had the language ability needed to read signs. navigate hazards. and communicate—before he ever reached the same stretch of road again.
Virginia bus crash Interstate 95 Stafford County E&P Travel bus Jing S. Dong Sean Duffy work zone crash commercial driver English test New York licensing records road safety