Tragic Bus Crash in Virginia

In the early hours of Friday, around 2:35 a.m., a bus operated by E&P Travel collided with traffic on I-95 in Virginia, resulting in the deaths of five individuals, including two children, and injuries to many others.

Transport Secretary Sean Duffy shared that preliminary findings indicate the bus driver was a Chinese national who reportedly did not speak English.

“This is one of the most tragic events I’ve ever seen,” he remarked, expressing deep sorrow over the incident.

The driver, identified as 48-year-old Jing S. Dong, was behind the wheel when the bus hit a Chevrolet SUV that was slowing down for a construction zone. The impact caused a chain reaction, involving an Acura and another vehicle.

Dong’s bus was transporting 34 passengers from New York City to Charlotte, North Carolina. Authorities reported that 44 individuals sustained injuries, with three classified as serious and were taken to hospitals in Fredericksburg and Stafford.

“It’s absolutely tragic,” noted Peyton Vogel, a spokesman for the Federal Transit Administration, who was present at the scene.

Duffy announced on social media that the driver had obtained his commercial driver’s license from New York State in 2024. He emphasized that it’s unacceptable for a driver to lack the ability to communicate effectively. “If you can’t read road signs or interact with law enforcement, you shouldn’t be driving a bus,” he stated.

He pledged that all organizations linked to the bus operation would face rigorous scrutiny following this incident.

Despite the serious crash, Dong also sustained injuries. Duffy extended condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and those affected by the tragedy.

The investigation led to the closure of the southbound lanes of I-95 for nearly four hours.