Full story
I-95 crash, charges filed
A bus driver, Jing S. Dong, 48, was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter after a crash on Interstate 95 in Stafford County killed five people and injured nearly four dozen more.
Virginia State Police said the bus “failed to slow for traffic” and crashed into six vehicles at about 2:35 a.m. Eastern Time, striking a Chevrolet Suburban that then hit an Acura SUV carrying the Doncev family.
The victims included Dmitri Doncev, 45, and Ecaterina Doncev, 44, along with their children Emily and Mark, and the fifth death was Priscilla Mafalda, 25, of Worcester, Massachusetts.
The crash happened as traffic slowed for a work zone, and the National Transportation Safety Board said the bus was moving at a high rate of speed, with NTSB member Tom Chapman saying, “It seems fairly clear that if there was any braking there wasn’t much.”
Prosecutor, NTSB focus
Prosecutors said Dong was arrested and would be in custody while he is treated for his injuries at a hospital, and they said they saw enough probable cause to believe he was “driving in a criminally negligent manner.”
Stafford County prosecutor Eric Olsen said Dong’s first court appearance would not be scheduled until he is discharged, and a magistrate approved holding him without bond until that time.
The NTSB said a six-member team joined the investigation into the wreck, and Chapman said investigators will review the driver’s actions in the 72 hours before the collision, including possible sleep issues and potential drug or alcohol impairment.
Chapman also said the agency was “particularly interested in issues relating to, first, motor coach driver factors,” while also looking at highway factors such as work zone designs and whether the end of the traffic queue was monitored.
Community grief, next steps
The crash was tied to a wedding in South Carolina that was set to go forward Sunday, and relative Carolina Bublik said, “A son, a father — the whole family — everyone that has been dear to us.”
“Crash kills 5 in Virginia including family of 4 traveling to wedding”
Greenfield Mayor Virginia Desorgher said in a statement, “No words that can fully ease the weight of this sudden and unimaginable grief,” and she told the family’s loved ones that “you are not walking through this dark time alone.”
In Stafford County, prosecutors said additional charges were pending, and the NTSB said its preliminary report is expected within 30 days while a final report could take between 12 and 24 months to complete.
Federal investigators said they were examining whether fatigue, impairment, medical issues or other factors played a role, and the NTSB said it was also assessing the driver’s language proficiency as part of the investigation.
