A motor coach bus driver has been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter following a deadly highway collision in Stafford County, Virginia, on Friday morning.
The crash killed five individuals and injured more than 40 others.
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Virginia State Police filed the charges against 48-year-old Jing S Dong of Staten Island, New York. Additional charges are likely as federal authorities continue their safety review.
Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are examining vehicle speed, operator fatigue, and language proficiency as primary factors in the multi-vehicle wreck.
Dong, a US citizen originally from China, does not speak English. Evidence indicates minimal braking occurred before the collision.
The crash happened around 2:35 a. m.
on Interstate 95. The E&P Travel bus was traveling from New York City to Charlotte, North Carolina.
It failed to decelerate near a highway work zone, striking a Chevrolet Suburban SUV. That SUV then hit an Acura carrying a traveling family.
Four members of a single family from Greenfield, Massachusetts, died in the wreckage. They were traveling to a South Carolina wedding with homemade desserts.
The deceased were identified as Dmitri and Ecaterina Doncev and their children, Emily and Mark. The family had emigrated from Moldova in 2008.
The family had been traveling in separate vehicles alongside Dmitri’s brother, Iuri. They became separated before the crash.
“At some point, they ended up getting separated,” relative Carolina Bublik told the Associated Press.
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Family members began to panic when Dmitri did not arrive at the destination on time and did not answer phone calls.
“Dmitri said, ‘You go ahead. I’ll catch up later.’
It was a big shock when Iuri arrived at the house. Dmitri should have arrived around the same time.
When his car did not show up, and he wasn’t picking up the phone – that’s when the family started panicking,” Bublik said.
An online GoFundMe campaign to cover funeral expenses for the Doncev family had raised more than $50,000 by Sunday.
The campaign page described the family as having “faith, kindness, and dedication to others” and said they “became a cherished part of their community and touched countless lives.”
A fifth fatality was identified as 25-year-old Priscilla Mafalda of Worcester, Massachusetts. She was a passenger inside the Chevrolet Suburban SUV.
Medical personnel treated 44 other individuals for injuries from the crash.
Dong sustained injuries in the collision and remains under arrest at a local medical facility. Prosecutors said a magistrate denied bond.
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His initial court appearance will take place after he is formally discharged from the hospital.
